Apple blocks Samsung Galaxy Tab sales in Australia

A judge in Australia has granted Apple an injunction that will block sales of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in that country.

Multiple local media sources are reporting that Justice Annabelle Bennett found in favour of Apple, upholding the company's claim that the Samsung tablet infringes on patents the company owns for its iPad tablet line.

Apple had previously rejected a deal that would have settled the case prior to the judge's decision. The company has previously said it intends to block the sale of the Samsung tablet due to patent infringement.

The ruling is the latest in an ongoing legal war between Samsung and Apple over patent infringement in tablet devices. Apple has already claimed victory over Samsung in Europe, blocking the sale of the Galaxy Tab in both Germany and the Netherlands.

Samsung has responded by filing its own counter-suits against Apple, claiming the iPad infringes on its own patent holdings.

Earlier this year, the company unsuccessfully filed to force Apple to turn over prototypes of the next iPhone and iPad designs.

The suit is one of several high-profile cases surrounding mobile platforms. Google and Oracle remain locked in a heated battle over the use of Java components in the Android platform. The suit has garnered headlines due to claims of outlandish behaviour by both sides.

Meanwhile, Google acquisition partner Motorola Mobility is itself the target of a patent suit from a Google-backed patent-holding firm.