14 DAY TRIAL // The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet is still barred in Germany, but the Galaxy 10.1N isn't and, even though Apple has been trying to ban it too, the danger is small.
Apple and Samsung continue to push forward their awkward love-hate relationship, multi-million litigation funds and all.
What were once close business partners are now feuding over the right to sell their respective devices.
Apple's relentless efforts to get the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet banned in as many places as possible garnered most of the attention, particularly through irony.
After all, after gaining a victory and getting the thing barred form Australia, the appeal court overturned the ban and, with the item now selling, it looks like Apple did Samsung a favor.
Now, the Galaxy Tab 10.1N appears to be getting similar advertising at Apple's expense, since the Cupertino company is striving to get it banned but, apparently, only getting consumers to pay it closer attention.
Galaxy Tab 10.1N is Samsung's attempt to circumvent the Germany ban by giving the item a modified frame.
Reports say that a preliminary statement from Germn judge Johanna Brueckner-Hofmann indicates that she is satisfied with the new look.
Since customers will no longer be confused and have a hard time telling it apart form the Apple iPad, there should be no cause for further injunctions, at least until the case is fully settled.
The ruling has yet to be made, though, and it won't happen until February 9, 2012, which is quite a way off.
Nevertheless, Samsung is gaining the upper hand in this global spat for once, after a bumpy start which, though apparently unjustly, still prevented the tablet from selling in Australia for months.
Meanwhile, its efforts to ban the iPhone 4S have seen little to no success, to the point where the company abandoned the campaign in South Korea, among other things.