Samsung’s ongoing legal war with Apple will mean more delays for its devices in Australia. Today, the electronics maker revealed that it plans to delay the Galaxy Tab 10.1’s Australian release until at least Sept. 26, reports ZDNet. In addition, the Samsung will countersue Apple Australia, alleging that the iPad and iPhone violate several, perhaps dozens, of Samsung’s patents. Apple alleges that the Galaxy Tab violates 10 of its patents.
“Our cross claim will include a cross claim of infringement for a number of our patents that have been infringed by their iPad,” said barrister David Catterns to Justice Annabelle Bennett today.
Apple has been aggressively, and successfully, attempting to block the sale of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 in regions around the world. Australia and Germany are the big battlefields at this time.
In Australia, this whole mess started when Apple Australia claimed Samsung was violating patents with the Galaxy Tab 10.1. Naturally, Samsung didn’t agree, arguing that Apple couldn’t accuse it of violating anything until it had seen the Australian version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1. So Samsung agreed to hold back on shipping the Galaxy Tab until it could show the unit to Apple first. This back and forth has meant the continued delay of the Galaxy Tab in the region, which is sad considering Samsung began advertising the tablet in early July.
To add fuel to the fire, Apple kept adding patents to the mix, making it difficult for Samsung to prepare. Because of this, Samsung has gotten the court to stop Apple from purchasing new patents and then adding them to the lawsuit.
“Samsung will continue to actively defend its right to launch the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia in order to ensure that consumers have a wider selection of innovative products to choose from,” said Samsung.
