Vodafone suspends Samsung Galaxy Tab sales after Apple injunction
Vodafone has suspended orders of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, following Apple’s successful injunction application to prevent the device from being sold in Europe.
Pre-orders of the tablet have been temporarily suspended by Vodafone and has contacted customers suggesting they cancel their requests for the device, amid fears the temporary sales injunction could be made permanent.
Apple obtained its injunction against Samsung in a German court earlier this week, claiming that the latter company had infringed some of its patents for the iPhone and iPad in the development of the Galaxy Tab.
A Vodafone spokeswoman says: “We’re in discussions with Samsung about the position in the UK. In the meantime, we will be suspending pre-orders and contacting customers who have already placed orders. We will update our customers as soon as possible.”
An O2 spokeswoman says the company is in discussions with Samsung and will watch the developments closely. She adds that no orders of the Tab have been cancelled.
Everything Everywhere has not been affected by the injunction because it does not run a pre-order service.
Retailer Dixons, which stocks tablets, says it has had “no legal instruction to remove the Samsung Galaxy from sale”.
Samsung says it is “disappointed” with the court’s decision and is intending to “act immediately” to defend its intellectual property rights.
A Samsung spokeswoman would not answer questions about what the company is advising stockists in the meantime and whether it will pull the marketing campaign, starring Cat Deeley, that launched on 8 August.
