SAN JOSE, Calif. — A federal judge this week handed Apple a major legal win in its patent war with rival Samsung, blocking the Korean tech giant from selling its Galaxy 10.1 tablet in the United States.
In a ruling fueled in part by legal direction from a federal appeals court, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh granted Apple’s request for a preliminary injunction that prevents Samsung from selling the tablet as their court battle unfolds. The Galaxy tablet, which operates on Google’s Android operating system, is considered a chief competitor to Apple’s iPad.
Within hours of the judge’s decision, Samsung filed court papers late Tuesday saying it would ask a federal appeals court to put the order on hold.
Samsung released a statement saying it was “disappointed” in Koh’s ruling and “will take necessary legal steps.” The company added that the ruling should not have “a significant impact on our business operations, as we possess a diverse range of Galaxy tab products.”
Koh had previously denied a request for an injunction to block the Galaxy tablet, but the Federal U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., which reviews patent cases, ordered the judge to take another look at the case
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