Samsung halts tablet sales in Australia due to Apple fight, report says
The patent fight between the two consumer electronic giants escalates as Samsung agrees to pull the product in Australia until the lawsuit is resolved.
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Samsung Electronics has agreed to halt sales of its Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet in Australia until it resolves its patent fight against Apple.
Bloomberg reports that Apple and Samsung came to an agreement during a hearing in a federal court in Australia today. Samsung agreed to stop advertising the tablet and won't sell the device until it wins court approval or the lawsuit is resolved. Apple, meanwhile, agreed to pay damages if it loses the infringement lawsuit.
It's the latest development in the rapidly escalating legal battle between the two consumer electronic giants. Apple claims Samsung's products copy the look and feel of the technology used in its products. Samsung disputes the claim. The lawsuit has spread quickly into multiple courts around the world.
Apple is the middle of multiple patent lawsuits as it seeks to maintain its dominance in the smartphone and emerging tablet categories. Its fight with Samsung is seen as particularly key, as the Korean company has seen its market share in the smartphone business surge with its smash-hit line of Galaxy smartphones. Last week, Strategy Analytics reported Apple and Samsung surpassed Nokia for the top spots in smartphone market share.
The ban is on the U.S. version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1. Samsung said it plans to sell a different Australian version, and has agreed to provide Apple three samples a week before it plans to start distributing it, Bloomberg reported based off the agreement submitted in court. Apple can review the samples before it is sold.
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Apple initially claimed Samsung's Galaxy line of smartphones and tablets imitated designs, features and technologies used in the iPhone and iPad. Samsung responded with lawsuits in multiple countries, including its home country of South Korea, as well as Japan, Germany and the U.S.
Bloomberg reports that Apple wants to get Samsung to stop selling the tablet in other countries.
An Apple representative wasn't immediately available to comment on what country it would target next. Samsung wasn't available to comment on the temporary ban.
The lawsuit has already gotten ugly. Samsung earlier this month attempted to get some of Apple's legal team members kicked off the case.
Apple, meanwhile, has reportedly moved the production of its A6 processor to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., away from Samsung.