Apple Fails In Bid To Ban Samsung Galaxy Products In U.S.

Lucy Koh, the U.S. district judge who denied Apple’s appeal for the Samsung Galaxy ban, did not dismiss the possibility of Apple ultimately winning the patent war against its competitor. For now, though, Apple didn't prove its case.

"It is not clear that an injunction on Samsung's accused devices would prevent Apple from being irreparably harmed," Koh wrote in the ruling.

According to the Wall Street Journal, last week's ruling in Samsung’s favor should not come as a huge surprise, as U.S. courts tend to have a "high bar" for banning products from the market. Had the ban been granted, however, Samsung’s race against Apple for highest U.S. smartphone sales would most likely come to end.

Samsung, of course, agrees with Koh’s decision to withhold the ban.

"Samsung welcomes the ruling denying Apple's request for a preliminary injunction. This ruling confirms our long-held view that Apple's arguments lack merit. In particular, the court has recognized that Samsung has raised substantial questions about the validity of certain Apple design patents," a Samsung spokesperson told CRN. "We are confident that we can demonstrate the distinctiveness of Samsung's mobile devices when the case goes to trial next year. We will continue to assert our intellectual property rights and defend against Apple's claims to ensure our continued ability to provide innovative mobile products to consumers."

Samsung saw another victory last week, after the Australian High Court lifted the temporary ban of its Galaxy 10.1 tablet in Australia. Apple, however, was quick to react, and has already requested and won a one-week extension of the ban until Friday, December 9, in an effort to appeal the lift.

Apple has also been granted injunctions banning Galaxy 10.1 tablet sales in Germany and the Netherlands. Earlier this month, though, Samsung introduced a modified version of its Galaxy 10.1 tablet – the Galaxy 10.1N – to re-introduce the product within the German market.

The two companies have been in the midst of a legal battle for months now, after Apple originally accused Samsung in April of basing its Galaxy tablets and smartphones on iPad and iPhone patents. Samsung’s products, Apple said, were merely “slavish” copies of its own.