Apple failed to convince a U.S. judge to block Samsung Electronics from selling Galaxy
smartphones and tablets in the U.S. market, depriving the iPhone and
iPad maker of crucial leverage in a global patent battle between the two
companies.
In a ruling released late on Friday, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California denied Apple's request for a preliminary injunction against Samsung.
The two companies
are engaged in a bruising legal battle that includes more than 20 cases
in 10 countries as the they jostle for the top spot in the smartphone
and tablet markets.
Earlier on Friday, an Australian court extended a halt
on sales of Samsung's latest Galaxy tablet in the country by at least a
week, as Apple appeals a ruling that had ended the ban.
Apple sued Samsung
in the United States in April, saying the South Korean company's Galaxy
line of mobile phones and tablets "slavishly" copies the iPhone and
iPad.
But on Friday Koh rejected Apple's bid to ban sales of three smartphone models, as well as the Samsung Tab 10.1.
"It is not clear
that an injunction on Samsung's accused devices would prevent Apple from
being irreparably harmed," Koh wrote.
Apple spokeswoman
Kristin Huguet on Friday referred to previous Apple statements about the
case, saying that Samsung's "blatant copying is wrong."
Samsung spokesman Jason Kim said Samsung welcomed Koh's
opinion. "This ruling confirms our long-held view that Apple's
arguments lack merit," Kim said in an email.
Apple could still
prevail in the overall lawsuit. But it's inability to win a quick halt
to Galaxy sales in the United States comes as the stakes skyrocket in
one of the fastest growing consumer electronics markets.
UNDER PRESSURE
Global tablet sales
are expected to explode to more than 50 million in 2011. Apple, which
has sold more than 30 million iPads so far, is expected to continue to
dominate the market in the near term.
Apple's new CEO Tim Cook is under pressure to show he
can fill the large shoes of his predecessor, late Silicon Valley titan
Steve Jobs. But in his first quarterly result unveiled as permanent CEO,
Apple stunned Wall Street, missing expectations for the first time in
years.
Analysts said
customers held off buying iPhones in the September quarter, waiting for
the October launch of the latest iPhone 4S.
But tablets proved a bright spot. The company moved
11.12 million units during the quarter despite attempts by various
manufacturers, including Samsung, to capture a slice of the tablet
market.
Now Amazon.com
has also entered the fray with its Kindle Fire tablet, but Samsung's
Galaxy line-up is widely deemed the closest rival in terms of capability
and design to the iPad.
Acknowledging the
competition, Cook said it was "reasonable to say" none of Apple's rivals
have gained any traction, and he expected the tablet market to be
bigger than personal computer in the long term.
In her ruling, Koh wrote that for some of the
smartphones, "Apple has established a likelihood of success on the
merits at trial."
Koh added that Apple
would likely prove Samsung infringed one of its tablet patents.
However, Apple had not shown that it was likely to overcome Samsung's
challenges to the patent's validity, Koh wrote.
Apple must demonstrate both infringement and validity to succeed in its lawsuit.
The case in U.S.
District Court, Northern District of California is Apple Inc v. Samsung
Electronics Co Ltd.
No comments:
Post a Comment