German court says Galaxy Tab 10.1 revision is just fine
Apple, by contrast, says that the allegedly infringing Galaxy Tab 10.1 is still too close to the iPad and should not be offered for sale.
Apple has been dealt a significant blow in its efforts to ban the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany.
Judge Johanna Brueckner-Hoffman said in a preliminary assessment today that the revisions Samsung has made to its Galaxy Tab 10.1 sufficiently sidestep Apple patent infringements, Reuters is reporting.
"According to the court's assessment, the defendant has moved away sufficiently from the legally protected design," Judge Brueckner-Hoffman said of Samsung's revision, according to Reuters. The type of revisions made were not divulged.
Apple, however, says that the revised tablet--dubbed the Galaxy Tab 10.1N--still looks like an iPad copycat and has petitioned the court to block its sale in the country.
Today's assessment precedes a final ruling, which is scheduled to come down on February 9.
Earlier this year, Apple won a key ruling against Samsung that banned the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany. However, Samsung was given the opportunity to rework the design in order to continue selling the device.
Although Apple has had some luck taking on Samsung in Australia, Germany, and several other places around the world, more recently, the iPhone maker has been losing key battles. Earlier this month, for example, an Australian court overturned an earlier ruling banning the Galaxy Tab 10.1, making it available to customers during the important holiday-shopping season.
But that hasn't stopped Apple from bringing more patent-infringement claims to light. Earlier this week, the company alleged in an Australian court that Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 and smartphones violate "at least 10" patents it holds related to product case designs.
Samsung isn't only on the defense. The company has been consistently hitting Apple with lawsuits over the iPhone and iPad. Just last week, the company slapped Apple with four patent-infringement claims. But this time, it dug a bit deeper into its portfolio, hitting Apple with a complaint over the way emoticons are displayed on-screen.
Neither Apple nor Samsung immediately responded to CNET's request for comment on today's German court proceedings.