Fearing its Galaxy Tab slate will never hit shelves down under, Samsung has reportedly proposed a deal with Apple that would allow the Korean electronics giant to launch its iPad competitor in Australia.
Thanks to its ongoing patent disputes with Apple, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 has been hit with a preliminary injunction that has delayed its launch in Australia. However, according to The Wall Street Journal, Samsung has attempted to resolve the dispute by striking a deal with Apple, the details of which were not disclosed to the court:
It wasn’t clear what benefit Apple would gain from any agreement, as details of the proposed deal were not discussed in full in front of the court. But Apple’s attorney, Stephen Burley, conceded there was some potential benefit from an agreement on the matter. “(Samsung’s) inconvenience would be diminished and we would be comforted” by such a deal, he said.
Justice Annabelle Bennett said that the proposed deal wouldn’t give Samsung the satisfaction of a final answer to the dispute, but Mr. Catterns said it would at least allow the company to sell its new tablet computer ahead of the crucial Christmas sales period.
Apple and Samsung, despite having a “deep” business relationship, are currently embroiled in twenty lawsuits in total, spanning nine countries. The courtroom battles haven’t just led to the Galaxy Tab’s ban in Australia either — the device was also blocked from stores throughout Europe.
The news of Samsung’s proposal follows yesterday’s news that Steve Jobs had attempted to resolve these patent conflicts with Samsung a long time before they actually hit the courtroom.
Do you think Apple and Samsung will strike a deal, or will Apple attempt continue its vendetta against Samsung until the Galaxy Tab is dead?
Killian Bell is a freelance writer based in the U.K. He has an interest in all things tech and also covers Android over at CultofAndroid.com. You can follow him on Twitter via @killianbell.
