With Samsung recently managing to convince an appeals court to lift the sales ban placed on its Galaxy Tab device, many thought that we might be coming to the end of the long, drawn-out saga which has seen Samsung and Apple fight tooth and nail. Apparently, they were wrong. Apple has now been successful in asking for a one week extension of the ban, apparently in order to give the iPad manufacturer time to appeal the decision.
Samsung had previously expected to begin selling the Galaxy Tab today, with shipments arriving in the country early next week, but those plans will now be put on hold while the legal eagles work their magic. What happens a week from today is anybody’s guess, though.
High Court Justice John Dyson Heydon extended the ban on the release of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 to next Friday, Dec. 9.
On that day, the country’s top court will consider Apple’s request for permission to appeal a lower court’s order issued earlier this week, which lifted a ban on the product that has been in place since mid-October.
“A stay for one week will cost Samsung, in effect, one week’s trade,” Heydon said, following a 90-minute hearing in Sydney. The extension will hurt Samsung “but not to extend the status quo is likely to be injurious to Apple,” he said.
Samsung is understandably eager to get its Galaxy Tab 10.1 out the door as soon as possible, with the run up to the holiday season now very much upon us. Each passing week is costing Samsung money, with potential customers possibly turning to the competition in order to make sure they have a tablet under their Christmas tree.
This obviously isn’t the last we’re going to hear about this giant spat between two huge companies, and we suspect the courts in Australia are sick of seeing the two companies’ representatives, but this is how big business operates these days. Lest we forget a similar legal battle is taking place in Germany, too!
We’ll keep our ears to the ground for future developments in this case, and we’re sure we’re in for fireworks come this time next week.
Who’s bringing the marshmallows?
(source Bloomberg)
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