Samsung loses bid to lift ban on US tablet sales

A US judge has rejected a request by Samsung Electronics to lift a ban on sales of its Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the US.

The rejection is the third legal setback the South Korean firm has suffered in recent days, and comes as Samsung prepares itself for a make-or-break patent trial later this month with Apple.

We believe today's ruling will ultimately reduce the availability of superior technological features to consumers in the United States.

Apple and Samsung, the world's largest consumer electronics corporations, are waging legal war in around 10 countries, accusing each other of patent violations as they vie for supremacy in a fast-growing market for mobile devices.

US District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California, rejected Samsung's request to lift her 26 June order to halt sales of the tablet, which runs on Google's Android and goes toe-to-toe with the iPad.

Koh also slapped a pre-trial ban on sales of Samsung's Galaxy Nexus phone on Friday.

Apple sued Samsung last year, accusing the South Korean electronics maker of "slavishly" copying the iPhone and iPad. Samsung denies the claim and countersued. The case is due to come to court this month and could have implications in other jurisdictions.

The affected tablets and smartphones are unlikely to have major impact on Samsung's earnings, as the firm has since introduced upgraded models. But the back-to-back loss is significant because pre-trial injunctions are rarely granted. The two firms' US trial is set on July 30.

"Samsung is disappointed with the court's decision that denied our motion to stay. We believe today's ruling will ultimately reduce the availability of superior technological features to consumers in the United States," Samsung said in a statement.

The district court is not the last chance for Samsung to get the injunction lifted. Samsung has also appealed to a federal appeals court in Washington, DC, which has exclusive jurisdiction over intellectual property disputes.

An Apple spokeswoman reiterated the company's previous comment that Samsung's latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad.

"This kind of blatant copying is wrong and, as we've said many times before, we need to protect Apple's intellectual property when companies steal our ideas," the spokeswoman said.