Apple's patent battle against Samsung and its Galaxy line of smartphones and tablets continued this week, with Cupertino filing suit against Samsung in Japan, according to Reuters.
The suit, filed in Tokyo District Court, wants a ban on Samsung Galaxy S smartphones and Galaxy Tab tablets. A hearing on the matter was conducted on Wednesday, Reuters said, citing sources close to the matter.
The case dates back to April, when Apple sued Samsung for copying the look and feel of its iPhone and iPad with its Galaxy S devices. Samsung quickly countersued in several different courts, including Tokyo's District Court, though it later dropped the countersuit filed in a U.S. federal court to streamline its proceedings, Bloomberg said.
Though some, including PCMag mobile analyst Sascha Segan, thought Apple's suit was a bit over the top, Apple has had some success getting Galaxy S products temporarily banned in several countries.
Most recently, Samsung said it volunteered not to sell the Galaxy Tab any earlier than September 30 in Australia, pending a September 26 decision from the court.
Last month, however, a German court ruled that a ban on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet would remain in effect in Germany until at least September 9. Earlier in the month, the same court blocked the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Europe, with the exception of the Netherlands. Amidst questions over whether a German court had the right to ban a Korean company from selling its wares outside Germany, the court later tightened its ruling and only applied the ban to sales within Germany. That ruling basically still stands, at least until tomorrow.
Around the same time, a Dutch court imposed an EU-wide preliminary injunction against Samsung Galaxy smartphones, which will take effect in mid-October.
All this comes as Samsung releases its Galaxy S II smartphone in the United States. For more, see PCMag's hands on and the slideshow below.