Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1N avoids Apple ban

Apple does not have the right to impose a sales ban on the revised Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1N, a German court has ruled.

The judge stated that the modified Android tablet is different enough in design to Apple's iPad 2 to avoid customer confusion.

Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1N, which features a revised bezel and alternate speaker placement, was designed specifically for the German marked to swerve an Apple-imposed injunction.

The ruling follows an unsuccessful bid by the Korean firm to overturn a sales ban on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the region.

In the wake of today's ruling, industry analyst Florian Muller of FOSSpatents commented that the judge's decision validates Apple's legal claims against the Galaxy Tab 10.1.

"Apple's actions may have been aggressive, but they weren't unreasonably overreaching. At the very least, there can be a genuine dispute over this issue," he said.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 was unveiled at last year's Mobile World Congress. The device received an overhaul following the release of Apple's iPad 2.

Earlier this week, Apple appealed to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute for "more consistent and transparent" patent licence rules.