2012 started with the same good old feud between Apple and Samsung, based on patents. This time, things aren’t looking too good for Samsung, that’s under investigation by the European Commission for breaking antitrust laws and Apple isn’t doing so well either, since their request to ban some Samsung products was denied. I’m talking about the Galaxy Tab 10.1N and Galaxy Nexus.
The Galaxy Nexus was found in breach of Apple’s slide to unlock technology, that’s actually not even theirs, since it was used on a Neonode phone back in 2005, for example. As far as the Galaxy Tab 10.1N is concerned, this is the redesigned version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet, that apparently copied the iPad in the design department… somehow. Judge Andreas Mueller said that Samsung has proved that the technology was already on the market before Apple filed for protection and I’m guessing he’s talking about the Galaxy Nexus here.
I have to remind you last autumn Samsung was banned from selling the Galaxy Tab 10.1 slate in Germany and for some time it faced injunction in Australia as well, but finally it got to sell the device. As far as the German market is concerned, Samsung launched a redesigned Galaxy Tab 10.1N, to avoid breaking any trademarks for design… and Apple still wasn’t happy. What Samsung changed was the placement of the logo and some bezel dimensions and that’s about it. Apple also had its proposition of ban rejected in Netherlands on January 24th.
