German court upholds Apple design claim

Samsung and Apple are locked in patent battles around the world.

A German court has upheld a ban on the sale of Samsung's Galaxy Tab, saying it did infringe Apple designs.

It was asked to reconsider a previous ruling that elements of the tablet were copied from the iPad.

That decision led to a Europe-wide ban, which was later lifted amid concerns about the court's power to impose such a broad embargo.

The latest hearing went in Apple's favour and means the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is again banned from sale across Germany.

Dusseldorf regional court judge Johanna Brueckner-Hoffmann said that the "minimalist, modern form" of the two products gave a "clear impression of similarity".

In the early stages of the dispute, Apple had won the right for the ban to be imposed continent-wide. However, that was lifted following a challenge by Samsung.

Its re-imposition, albeit only within one country, marks yet another round in the ongoing patent battle between Apple and Samsung.

The two electronics giants currently face each other in courtrooms in Australia, North America and Asia.

Apple has also been successful in winning a sales ban of several Samsung phones across Europe following court action in the Netherlands.