Samsung Electronics won a victory in its global tablet war with Apple, as a panel of judges lifted a temporary ban on sales of its devices in Australia. The full bench of the Australian Federal Court overturned last month's court decision to ban sales there while awaiting a final hearing on Apple's complaint of patent infringement, the Wall Street Journal reports. Because the commercial life of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 is about 12 months, the court declared, such a temporary ban would "have the practical effect of killing off" the device in Australia and "deliver Apple complete victory in respect of its claims." Under the decision, Samsung is allowed to resume sales at 16.00 hrs Sydney time on 2 December. Apple attorney Stephen Burley told the court the company would apply to the High Court in Canberra to have this latest decision reversed and the ban restored. No date has yet been set for a final hearing in the Australian case. Separately Dow Jones reports that Apple has filed a motion in a German court seeking to bar the German unit of Samsung from selling the Galaxy Tab 10.1N tablet in the European Union. Apple has requested a preliminary injunction, and the Duesseldorf regional court has scheduled a hearing on the matter on 22 December. In September the same court banned sales of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany after Apple accused Samsung of violating patents used in its iPad tablet. Samsung said earlier this month it would release a modified version of its Galaxy tablet computer in Germany, called the Galaxy Tab 10.1N.
