14 DAY TRIAL // The next stage in the heated fight between Apple and Samsung has been given a time and place, even as the former is doing its best to get a certain tablet banned in the Netherlands as well.
Users will likely have learned of the legal scuffle that Apple and Samsung got into, the one involving alleged patent infringement on the latter's part.
Not only was the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet banned in Australia but, more recently, the European Union ended up blocking it as well.
Not long ago, Vodafone UK even canceled all the pre-orders it had received for the 10-inch Android tablet.
Needless to say, Samsung did not take very kindly to these events and declared that it will fight the decision with everything it has.
Unfortunately, it still has to make an appeal and wait to see what the court decides next, during which time sales will stay halted and Apple will be busying itself with trying to get a similar ruling in the Netherlands.
Having filed a suit in Hague (the action will be overseen by Judge Edgar Brinkman), Apple alleges three distinct copyright, design and patent infringements.
Now, at least, some information has been provided as to what the near future will hold for the two companies and those people who were looking forward to one of the tablets being fought over.
A German court will hear Samsung's appeal on August 25 (2011), though the actual decision will only come after some deliberations, weeks after that meeting.
As for the Netherlands court action, a decision will be announced next month (September 15).
Whether one or the other eventually wins this entire conflict remains to be seen but, in the end, the speed of the resolution will be quite relevant, since too much of a delay in market availability can kill a product before it has a chance to make a stand.