Apple and Samsung, the two major companies who sell directly competitive phones and tablet under the brand names of iPhone/iPad and Galaxy/Nexus occupy the lion’s share of the tablet and smartphone market. It is this stiff competition that has led these two giants into a flurry of patent battles all around the world.
Recently Samsung launched its Nexus range of phones, ahead of the yet to be announced iPhone 5. The phone packs in the cutting-edge hardware and latest software as it is the official Google phone. Samsung Galaxy SIII has also been performing well in the global markets. Its the flagship Samsung smartphone and is a direct rival of the iPhone.
But all is not well for the South Koren giant.
A US court on Friday ruled that sales of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus in the United States be stopped until a patent dispute between Apple and Samsung is resolved. US Northern District of California Judge Lucy Koh ruled that sales of the Samsung smartphone be blocked until the patent dispute between the two companies is resolved saying that, Apple had presented “a strong case” for the injunction and that it “has shown a likelihood of establishing both infringement and validity” in regards to the present dispute. But the Judge did stipulate that for this pre-trial injunction to be forced, which in itself has been described as ‘rare’, Apple would have to post a $100 million bond as a guarantee for payment of damages, should Samsung win the case. The judge had earlier this week blocked the sale of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 for the same reasons.
The dispute is by no means restricted to US. It is being waged all around the world with claims and counter-claims being submitted in numerous countries. Apple has accused Samsung of blatantly copying their products hardware designs, the User Interface and even their packaging. Whereas Samsung claims Apple has infringed their patents regarding internet connectivity on phones and tablets.
People are now concerned that the ban might extend to include the SIII as well and that would be a big blow for Samsung, as America is one of the biggest markets for Samsung. Under this fear the share dropped 2.3% on the Korean market.Samsung says it is disappointed with the court ruling and that it would take all legal measures to make sure the Nexus is available in the market.