Apple gets Samsung tablet banned for another week

PATENT LITIGATOR Apple has succeeded in keeping the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 out of Australian stores for an extra week.

Following legal wranglings that have filled patent lawyers' Christmas funds and frustrated almost everyone else, Samsung managed to win itself the right to sell its device in Australia earlier this week.

This did not please Apple, which has fought hard to keep the tablet that it says blatantly copies its own designs as far as possible from Australian and other markets.

An Australian court had overturned a previous ban, which should have seen the 10.1in tablet go on sale today. However, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, this has been postponed for a week after Apple asked for more time to appeal.

"The High Court of Australia has granted a stay until December 9 to allow it to consider whether to accept Apple's application for special leave to appeal," said Samsung in a statement to the newspaper.

"Samsung believes Apple has no basis for its application for leave to appeal and will vigorously oppose this to the High Court."

Apple does not specifically comment on the ups and downs of this legal case, and prefers to send out the same message about its products and its right to defend them.

We have asked both firms to comment. µ