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Injunction suspended: EU can buy Galaxy Tabs again

Non-iPad slabfondle fun still verboten in Germany though

The German court which imposed an EU-wide ban on Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 has suspended it, on the grounds that it may not have the authority to impose such a decision, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The ban was based on the Tab's similarity to Apple's iPad, which the court still reckons is too much for coincidence, but the question is if a German court has the power to prevent a South Korean company selling a product to countries outside Germany, and as long as that remains in dispute we can all buy Samsung Tabs again.

Except those in Germany, as the ruling still applies to Samsung's local subsidiary.

The injunction hasn't been properly rescinded, only suspended in that the court won't make any effort to enforce it while its legitimacy is established: apparently the EU law is far from clear on what's allowed and not allowed.

Samsung, unsurprisingly, "welcomes the decision", while Apple is maintaining its traditional silence on the issue, but no doubt planning further action – so if you want a Samsung Tab 10.1 then better snap one up quickly before they disappear again.

The WSJ report is here. ®

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