Last week was not the best week for Samsung, or for the mobile industry in general as the patent soap opera continues between Apple and Samsung. Judge Lucy Koh granted a preliminary ban on sales of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and seems to be doing the same on the Galaxy Nexus.
Apparently the reason for this latest ban is the patent on unified search linked to Apple’s Siri feature. Although Judge Koh is inclined to believe Apple’s view regarding all four patents, that search patent is the one whose violation would reportedly merit more than a slap on the wrist. She’s similarly convinced that Apple’s patents are legitimate and likely won’t be dismissed anytime soon. The potential damage according to Judge Koh is worth halting sales of the phone until there’s a final trial verdict.
In a completely expected move, Samsung filed to appeal the preliminary Galaxy Nexus ban today. Among other claims, Samsung is arguing that the ban is “inconsistent with the Federal Circuit’s directive that market share losses must be substantial,” and, as Foss Patents puts it, “attributable to the ‘infringing feature,’ not just the presence of the infringing product on the market.” Of course, this appeal seems to mirror the one Samsung had for the Galaxy Tab 10.1, which ended up having its sales halted.