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Apple has succeeded in having the Samsung Galaxy Nexus banned from sale in the US. This comes just days after the same judge slapped the same pre-trial injunction on Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, yanking it from the shelves.
Not only is this two in a week for Samsung, the patents relate to Android, so it could also have massive repercussions for Google’s operating system.
Pre-trial injunctions are quite rare, so it’s big news that Apple managed to score two in a week against Samsung. Just like in the case of the Galaxy Tab ban, Samsung can appeal, so the ban could well be just temporary. But still, it’s a massive blow for the Korean company.
Apple will have to post a bond of around $96m, which I’m sure it’ll be more than happy to do. Considering it could soon be the world’s first trillion-dollar company, that’ll be small beer to the iPhone maker.
The patent relates to searching multiple areas for information through a single search interface, as well as using predetermined heuristic algorithms corresponding to each search area. Winning an injunction against core Android voice and search functions could be bad news for Google, especially given the new Google Now service it rolled out this week as part of Jelly Bean. Could this cause Google to fundamentally redesign Android?
“Apple has made a clear showing that, in the absence of a preliminary injunction, it is likely to lose substantial market share in the smart phone market and to lose substantial downstream sales of future smart phone purchases and tag-along products,” District Judge Lucy Koh said in the ruling.
This contrasts with Apple’s case against Motorola, which a judge threw out on the basis that neither side could prove lost earnings.
Is Apple right to pursue these cases in court? Or should it stick to improving its own products? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.
