Tag Archives: germany

Apple successfully blocks Samsung from showing off Galaxy Tab 7.7 at IFA in Germany

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(We got a look at the Tab 7.7 before it was pulled)

Apple won a pretty significant victory today in its attempts to block Samsung from selling its iPad competitor products in Germany and in greater Europe.  This week’s IFA show is a CES-like pan-European event which showcases new consumer products from just about everyone except Apple.

Most of the buzz this year however is around two of Samsung’s new products, the Galaxy Tab 7.7 and the Galaxy Note 5.3.  Both have 1280×800 SuperAMOLED Displays and run Android 3.2 but the Tab falls under the line of products that Apple is trying to block and is currently under a set of injunctions in various parts of the world.

Interestingly, Samsung was originally showing the 7.7 devices to reporters with “not for sale in Germany” stickers attached. However last night, Samsung started removing the devices from the floor and covering up the advertisements like the product never existed (below).

It appears that Apple got Samsung to block the whole Tab line.  The Tab 7.7 is much smaller than the iPad weighing only 334 grams, yet has a higher resolution screen – so it appears that Apple’s injunction is very broad.

Bloomberg reports:

Samsung, Apple’s closest rival in tablet computers, pulled the just-unveiled Galaxy Tab 7.7 out of the IFA consumer- electronics show in Berlin after a Dusseldorf court on Sept. 2 granted Apple’s request to ban sales and marketing of the product, James Chung, a Seoul-based spokesman for Samsung, said by telephone today.

“Samsung respects the court’s decision,” Chung said, adding that the company believes it “severely limits consumer choice in Germany.” Samsung will pursue all available options, including legal action, to defend its intellectual property rights, he said.

It will be interesting to see what direction this goes.  Will Apple be able to successfully block Samsung’s (and others’) tablets for sale across the world? There is some concern that if Apple doesn’t win in these cases, damages to Samsung could be significant.

Images via ThisismyNext, Cross-posted on 9to5Google.com

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Did Apple Lie And Falsify Evidence To Win Its Injunction Against Samsung’s Galaxy Tab?

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Apple’s chalked up some big victories against Samsung in recent weeks, culminating in a preliminary injunction that got the Galaxy Tab 10.1 banned throughout the EU. But did Apple do so based upon false evidence? That’s what one Dutch website is alleging, and we’ve got to admit, their argument’s pretty good.

See the image above? The side-by-side comparison of the iPad 2 and Galaxy Tab 10,1 at the bottom is the exact comparison shot used by Apple to prove in official court documents that the Galaxy Tab 10,1 is “practically identical” to Apple’s tablet.

The only problem? That’s not what the Galaxy Tab 10,1 even looks like. The Galaxy Tab 10,1 has a 1.46 aspect ratio. In Apple’s comparison image, though, has a 1.36 aspect ratio compared to the iPad 2′s 1.30. The tablet’s proper proportions have been deformed.

If you actually look at the image, the Galaxy Tab’s icons are warped too, so this seems like an honest mistake by some paralegal resizing an image.

Even so, though, it raises the question about whether or not the injunction against Samsung should even have been granted. As TechCrunch notes:

The current import ban on the GalTab is entirely related to design, so the court is truly judging these books by their covers. Presenting evidence that falsely represents the appearance of a product — especially when the appearance of the product is the only thing in question — is incredibly suspect to say the least. Let’s add to that the fact that Apple had some serious alone time with the judge when presenting this evidence. Meanwhile, Samsung didn’t even have the opportunity to dispute the image.

German courts are notoriously pro-patent, but they also frown upon falsified evidence. At the very least, it seems like any injunction against Samsung based upon this evidence should be appealed.

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Updated: Samsung Responds… Apple stops Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 distribution in European Union

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Update: Samsung has issued the following statement (via TNW) addressing the court’s decision to grant Apple the preliminary injunction:

Samsung is disappointed with the court’s decision and we intend to act immediately to defend our intellectual property rights through the ongoing legal proceedings in Germany and will continue to actively defend these rights throughout the world.

The request for injunction was filed with no notice to Samsung, and the order was issued without any hearing or presentation of evidence from Samsung.

We will take all necessary measures to ensure Samsung’s innovative mobile communications devices are available to customers in Europe and around the world.

This decision by the court in Germany in no way influences other legal proceedings filed with the courts in Europe and elsewhere.

Reports are coming in that Apple has been granted a preliminary injunction for the entire European Union (excluding Netherlands) that will halt distribution of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1. This comes on the heels of a postponed launch of the device in Australia due to a lawsuit with Apple.

The decision by the Regional Court of Dusseldorf in Germany to block sales of the device comes after a judge sided with Apple on claims that Galaxy Tab copied key design components related to the iPad 2. While Samsung can appeal the court’s decision sometime in the next month, the Telegraph’s Shane Richmond is quick to point out it would be heard by the same judge. Apple is also said to have a separate lawsuit filed in the Netherlands as well.

Samsung had this to say in a recent statement about their legal disputes with Apple:

“Samsung believes that there is no legal basis for this assertion. We will continue to serve our customers and distributors and the sale of Samsung products will be continued.”

And Apple has made their stance on the situation clear…

“It’s no coincidence that Samsung’s latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad, from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging. This kind of blatant copying is wrong, and we need to protect Apple’s intellectual property when companies steal our ideas.”




Comex’s JailbreakMe 3.0 Sparks Security Panic In Germany

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While the release of JailbreakMe 3.0 has resulted in jubilation amongst most users, it has curiously prompted a national panic in Germany, where a country-wide warning for all iOS products has been issued by Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security.

Calling the PDF Exploit that Comex’s jailbreak uses a “critical weakness” in iOS, the Federal Office for Information Security has issued a warning concerning all iPhones, iPads and the iPod Touch, claiming that all Apple devices are susceptible to malware, which can be installed on their device’s through an infected PDF file invisibly.

Clicking on an infected PDF file is sufficient to infect the mobile device with malware without the user’s knowledge” on several versions of Apple’s iOS operating system. After opening a website that carries an infected PDF file, a user’s device would be open to criminals spying on passwords, planners, photos, text messages, emails and even listen in on phone conversations.

Of course, Apple will likely patch this vulnerability sooner rather than later. In fact, they’ve already confirmed as much.

In the mean time, ironically, the only way to truly secure your iOS device against the PDF exploit is by jailbreaking and installing Comex’s PDF Patcher 2, which patches up the security hole.

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