Apple Forces Samsung To Yank Galaxy Tab 7.7 At IFA
Well, this can't be good for Samsung. During last week's IFA show, Samsung unveiled one of their slimmest, sleekest tablets yet. The Galaxy Tab 7.7 seemed to be an immediate hit on the show floor, and while the company wouldn't talk about pricing or release dates, they did confirm that it would not be on sale in Germany. Even the display unit had a sticker on it confirming this. But evidently, that sticker wasn't enough to placate the lawyers at Apple.
As the show was coming to a close, attendees began to notice that something at Samsung's booth was missing. That “something” was the TAb 7.7. Just days after it had been unveiled, the tablet had mysteriously disappeared without a trace. Immediately, press outlets at the show began to wonder why the beautiful tablet would just vanish. Turns out, Apple had something to say about it. It's no surprise that these 2 companies have been at each other's throats. Apple has sued Samsung saying that many of their Galaxy products resemble those crafted by Apple. Samsung has fought back, but in some cases they haven't exactly come out on top. One place where they haven't had too much success is Germany.
Based on reports from the show, Simpson was forced to remove the Galaxy Tab 7.7 after Apple asked them to. Earlier in the month, a court in Düsseldorf had granted Apple's request to ban sales and marketing of the product in Germany. Clearly, that translates over to the Tab 7.7 as well. Samsung has stated that while this respect the court's decision, they think that this severely limits consumer choice in Germany. Naturally, Samsung plans to pursue all available options, including legal action, to get this turned back around.
Currently, Samsung and Apple are involved in legal spats across 3 continents. And based on this, it doesn't seem that things are going to get any nicer anytime soon. What's really odd about this particular case, however, is that Apple doesn't yet make a 7" tablet. In fact, they have shown no actual interest in going below the 9.7" form factor. To consumers, this is all probably seeming like a bunch of 'he said she said.' But from a legal standpoint, we can understand Apple's view. Whatever the case, we certainly hope both companies get the stuff worked out in short order. We're anxious to see the Galaxy Tab 7.7 over on our shores, and we're pretty sure the folks in Germany would say the same about their own homeland.
As the show was coming to a close, attendees began to notice that something at Samsung's booth was missing. That “something” was the TAb 7.7. Just days after it had been unveiled, the tablet had mysteriously disappeared without a trace. Immediately, press outlets at the show began to wonder why the beautiful tablet would just vanish. Turns out, Apple had something to say about it. It's no surprise that these 2 companies have been at each other's throats. Apple has sued Samsung saying that many of their Galaxy products resemble those crafted by Apple. Samsung has fought back, but in some cases they haven't exactly come out on top. One place where they haven't had too much success is Germany.
Based on reports from the show, Simpson was forced to remove the Galaxy Tab 7.7 after Apple asked them to. Earlier in the month, a court in Düsseldorf had granted Apple's request to ban sales and marketing of the product in Germany. Clearly, that translates over to the Tab 7.7 as well. Samsung has stated that while this respect the court's decision, they think that this severely limits consumer choice in Germany. Naturally, Samsung plans to pursue all available options, including legal action, to get this turned back around.
Currently, Samsung and Apple are involved in legal spats across 3 continents. And based on this, it doesn't seem that things are going to get any nicer anytime soon. What's really odd about this particular case, however, is that Apple doesn't yet make a 7" tablet. In fact, they have shown no actual interest in going below the 9.7" form factor. To consumers, this is all probably seeming like a bunch of 'he said she said.' But from a legal standpoint, we can understand Apple's view. Whatever the case, we certainly hope both companies get the stuff worked out in short order. We're anxious to see the Galaxy Tab 7.7 over on our shores, and we're pretty sure the folks in Germany would say the same about their own homeland.
