German court says Galaxy Tab 10.1N likely to avoid Apple ban
updated 08:45 am EST, Thu December 22, 2011
Germany says Tab 10.1N may be different enough
A court in Dusseldorf, Germany said Thursday that it was unlikely to give Apple a ban on the Galaxy Tab 10.1N. Judge Johanna Brueckner-Hofmann issued an initial view that there was now enough of a clear difference between the new design and the iPad to let Samsung stay on the market. Her view wasn't yet binding.
The Tab 10.1N is virtually identical on the inside to the original version, but on the outside has silver 'lips' that stop the front from being a pure, solid bezel. Apple in Germany has primarily challenged Samsung on design rights that touted a minimalist look that it believes the regular Galaxy Tab copies.
Its move could provide some comfort to Samsung, which lost roughly two months of sales in Germany after the preliminary ban on the initial design. The country is one of Samsung's more important markets, and Apple has been trying to argue that German bans should apply to all of the EU.
Other disputes worldwide have focused more on software relating to Android and Samsung's TouchWiz interface. Apple saw an Australian ban overturned, albeit too late to have much impact on holiday sales.
