Apple fails to block Samsung tablet and smartphone sales in the U.S.

By Adam Rosenberg December 4, 2011

samsung-vs-apple — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Apple and Samsung have been locked in a patent war for most of this year. It’s a complicated situation, and you should check out Digital Trends‘ full breakdown of the legal dispute if you really want to understand it, but the long and short of it is: Apple alleges that several of Samsung’s Android-based smartphones and tablets infringe on its own iPhone and iPad. The iThing-maker has been working to block sales of targeted Samsung devices since the dispute started, and it’s a bid that has now been officially derailed.

A Friday ruling from U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh officially denies Apple’s request for a preliminary injunction against Samsung, Reuters reports. The U.S. is just one of the contested battlegrounds, however, with Apple scoring a victory on Friday as well, when an Australian judge extended a previously placed ban on Galaxy Tab sales for another week.

The iOS maker has more than 20 cases pending in 10 different countries, with the U.S.-based lawsuit having been filed in April. Friday’s ruling effectively blocks Apple’s request that sales of three Samsung smartphone models, plus the Galaxy Tab 10.1, be blocked. The case is far from over for either side, but Apple’s failed request is a definite setback.

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