Judge rejects lift on Galaxy Tab ban

For Samsung, things are not looking too good right now.

The company’s request to temporarily suspend the ban on its Galaxy Tab tablet in the US has been struck down.

The ban, which was pronounced last week as the result of a massive patent infringement case brought forth by Apple, will remain in effect as what is sure to be a very drawn-out legal battle between the two consumer electronics giants continues.

Apple’s claims allege that the Galaxy Tab is infringing on patents that it owns and used in the creation of the iPad.

It has filed lawsuits in countries all over the globe and had already secured Galaxy Tab bans in parts of Europe and Australia. Even so, it seemed very unlikely that a similar measure would be put in place in the US. But it happened last week.

Samsung had filed a motion to remove the ban at least until the legal dispute was resolved.

But US District Judge Lucy Koh was inflexible in her ruling. Samsung is now appealing to a federal appeals court that specializes in intellectual property cases.

The Galaxy Tab saga is just one piece of what has become a giant puzzle of vitriol and legal battles between Samsung and Apple, as each side tries to secure dominance in the smartphone and tablet markets.

Samsung is the one company that can actually attempt to take on Apple in these markets. Its Galaxy S III phone received about as much hype as a new iPhone, although the Galaxy Tab admittedly hasn’t reached the same level of excitement.