Samsung Galaxy Tab Sales Blocked Throughout Europe

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A German court just handed the folks out at Apple a pretty substantial win in their long-running feud with Samsung, as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is now unable to be sold across large parts of Europe. The preliminary injunction prevents sales of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in anywhere but the Netherlands.

We’re all quite familiar, by now, with the various complaints about Samsung’s incursions into Apple’s patents, but Apple isn’t taking this at all lying down. In fact, at last report, Apple was asking the court in Dusseldorf for one of two outcomes for Samsung: a fine of $350,000 for each violation, or prison terms for Samsung management. There’s no word as of yet just which punishment, if either (or both) will actually be leveled against Samsung over this, but it is the first time I’ve heard the words “jail time” connected to the Apple / Samsung patent war.

Some have suggested that this is part of a larger Apple conflict with all things Android, and that makes a significant amount of sense, especially given some of the advantages Apple already has by way of previous patents. But at the same time, as we just saw with the new Vizio tablet coming out, Android tablets are already mounting a rather cunning counter-defense against Apple’s market dominance. If Android, in all its various tablet forms, can survive Apple’s patent assault, they may well come out on the other side thanks to a low-cost (sometimes called penetration) market strategy.

And this is a great time to open up debate for you guys: Apple’s got the edge in terms of patents and money to wage patent war pretty much nonstop. But the Android tablet lineup may have the edge in terms of a market strategy that, especially these days, may prove more long-term viable than Apple’s. Do you think that Android can survive to take on Apple in the long term? Or is it only a matter of time until Apple suppresses Android for good? Either way, hit the comments section below and tell us what you think about this ongoing feud!