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When Apple received a favorable verdict against Samsung in the landmark victory over its design patents, it also brought a rather small win for Samsung. The court found Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 not infringing the patents that Apple had brought forth. In light of this, Samsung moved the court to lift the ban from the tablet’s sales in the U.S. And now, the court has granted it.

The ban was slapped on Galaxy Tab 10.1’s sales when Apple sought a court to grant an injunction until the patent issues were resolved. The injunction was granted and Galaxy Tab 10.1 had to be taken off the shelves. But in the final verdict in which Samsung was told to pay off $1 billion, the court also decided that Galaxy Tab 10.1 didn’t infringe Apple’s patents.

Realizing the opportunity, Samsung filed an appeal with the court to uplift the ban on the sales of the tablet. District Judge Lucy Koh responded by saying that Samsung had already filed an appeal with the high court, so she couldn’t do anything about it. Recently, the Court of Appeals gave Judge Koh the permission to act on Samsung’s appeal.

To this, she immediately responded by removing the ban on Galaxy Tab 10.1 sales in the U.S. market. In giving the verdict, she stated, “The public has no interest in enjoining a non-infringing product, and thus any market disruption caused by dissolution would be insignificant compared to Samsung’s interest in restoring its product to market.”

Judge Koh has also retained the $2.6 million bond that Apple provided when it sought the preliminary injunction. According to her, until the post-trial motions are resolved, the bond can’t be released. The decision of these motions will determine whether or not Apple was rightful in seeking the injunction or that it was wrong and Samsung needs to be paid off for the damages it sustained due to the ban.

Courtesy: Arstechnica

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