Apple Blocks Sale of Galaxy Tab 10.1 In Australia 316
lukehopewell1 writes "Apple has obtained an injunction from an Australian court effectively blocking the sale of the new Android Honeycomb-powered Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v. Apple Australia claims that the unit infringes on 10 of the Cupertino, California-based company's patents including the slide to unlock functionality as well as the edge-bounce feature. Samsung will provide Apple Australia with three units for study in coming weeks to ascertain whether or not the Korean gadget maker did in fact infringe on Apple's patented intellectual property."
Re:Really? (Score:5, Informative)
Australia, enforcing US Patents and copyrights harder than the U.S. since 1994.
Fixed it for you.
Since an earlier Australian Government signed a 'free trade agreement' Australia has been in the interesting position of having to enforce US Patents and Copyright Laws above and beyond our own.
Plus the 'free trade agreement' between our 2 countries means that US companies (and individuals) are free to pretty much do as they wish here, but we are still considered to be foreigners and subject to all the various tariffs and import restrictions as any other country in the US.
Re:...and...? (Score:2, Informative)
I love it how ACs come in here and try to re-write history [counternotions.com].
oh well a registered account, do you feel special? your link ignores everything prior to 2007 but just so you know the world did exist before the iphone.
were apple first with a touchscreen phone? No.
were apple first with a grid of icons on a touchscreen phone? No.
were apple first with apps on a touchscreen phone? No.
I can see you have difficulty believing that such things existed before 2007 and that these 'magical' things could not have been invented by anyone but apple, but samsung didn't 'steal' any ideas any more than apple 'stole' those ideas, you can't have it both ways.
I like apple, and i like most of their products, but i hate douchebags who act as if apple are the inventors of everything its ok when apple takes ideas from others but not when others take ideas from apple.
Re:Yes, I need to see this Galaxy Tab then (Score:2, Informative)
Believe me, I understand how business is done. They get patents. We get patents. Everybody has patents. Usually, nobody sues because everybody has patents, but occasionally someone does and then all hell breaks loose. I don't need a "don't be naive, patents aren't evil, they're just the way everybody does business" speech.
The fact that that's the way business is done doesn't make it any less wrong. It's an awful world where you can't build a product because you might get sued by someone with a similar product. Sarcasm is the way I deal with the world. If you aren't a fan of it, I suggest you get off Slashdot.
Re:...and...? (Score:5, Informative)
I love it how ACs come in here and try to re-write history [counternotions.com].
It's not just ACs that "rewrite history"; I was using SPB Mobile Shell with widgets and grids of icons [smartphonegurus.com] on a Samsung 830w back in Feb 2007 - well before the iPhone was released. Worked great, too - configurable, easy access, and even had a slide-out keyboard similar to the Blackberry phones.
As far as I can tell and remember, the iPhone was little more than a pretty feature phone - no apps (I was a regular user of Handango back then, plenty of apps for the WM platform), no Exchange support, no cut-and-paste, no multitasking, little more than what most LG and Samsung and Nokia feature phones offered. And considerably less functionality than the Symbian and Windows Mobile smartphones offered.
But it looked pretty, and Apple is great at marketing...
Re:Looks like Apple is starting to feel threatened (Score:4, Informative)
Who makes the screens in the iPad? Who is begging who to please supply them with more screens?
Multiple sources according to CNET [cnet.com] : "Industry online paper DigiTimes is also reporting that Chimei Innolux will also help in producing screen replacement units for iPads along with LG Display and Samsung Electronics."
I think Apple is scared, that it might not be getting the next generation of screens if Samsung has need for it themselves. If Samsung can make more money selling tablets then selling screens, Apple is screwed because Samsung is currently in the lead in the screen market especially oled.
Apple doesn't use OLED screens, Samsung so far hasn't proven itself in the tablet market unlike in the smartphone market and even there it can't touch Apple's volume. Doesn't seem so scary to me.
Also, this isn't just about tablets, iPhone sales are lower then Android sales and Samsung sells a lot of Android phones.
Apple is trying to get rid of the competition. Same as MS did with IE and we all know how that worked out for browser users. Apple without competition would be as boring in its line-up as MS.
I'll agree the gloves are definitely off and no punches are being pulled but it's no use blaming the player for the rules of the game. Patent reform is the only thing that will end this once and for all.
Re:Apple is getting real worried (Score:2, Informative)
Jeez, it would be nice if people would argue from the actual facts.
Apple's consumer electronics markets are evaporating? I mean, seriously?
Just to remind ourselves of the facts, here:
"The Company sold 20.34 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 142 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 9.25 million iPads during the quarter, a 183 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 3.95 million Macs during the quarter, a 14 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 7.54 million iPods, a 20 percent unit decline from the year-ago quarter."