Samsung Galaxy Nexus banned from US

Samsung's Galaxy Nexus smartphones have been blocked from sale in the US until a court rules over Apple's patent dispute with Samsung.

A US judge, Lucy Koh, based in California has issued an injunction banning the sale of the Samsung Galaxy smartphone in the US. This follows a ban on sales of the Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 earlier in the week. The reason for the judge doing so is because, as Koh is quoted as saying, Apple "has shown a likelihood of establishing both infringement and validity". This was in relation to No. U.S. Patent No. 8,086,604. According to the Apple Insider, the US company reacted favorably to the news. Apple have had a long running dispute with the South Korean company Samsung Electronics Co. concerning the infringement of patents. According to The Register,one of the main features which Apple is concerned about is its “Siri” voice-activated assistance, which is available in the iPhone 4S and which appears as a 'similar' function on the Galaxy smartphone. One of the main features which Apple is concerned about is its “Siri” voice-activated assistance, which is available in the iPhone 4S and which appears as a 'similar' function on the Galaxy smartphone. The ban is also a blow to another technology firm, Google. Nexus is the first smartphone to be powered by the most recent Android operating system called “Ice Cream Sandwich". As part of the import and sales ban, Apple were ordered to post a $96 million bond in case the iPhone maker loses to Samsung in a later trial. The bond is an estimated figure for the number of sales that Samsung would have made had the ban not been in force. The trial between the two technology giants is not scheduled until 2014.