In yet another continuation to the exhausting legal battle between Apple and Samsung, Bloomberg reports that an Australian court has granted Samsung an early hearing date of March 2012. Samsung is attempting to win an injunction banning sales of several Apple devices in Australia.
Australia Federal Court Justice Annabelle Bennett today ordered that a trial on Samsung’s claims be held in March. Cupertino, California-based Apple had opposed an early trial, with its lawyer Stephen Burley saying the company needed more time to prepare the case and favored a hearing in August.
Samsung, the world’s biggest maker of smartphones last quarter, dropped its bid for a temporary injunction barring Apple from selling the iPhones and iPad 2 and instead is seeking an early hearing. The Australian trial will be a prelude for Samsung in its U.S. case before the International Trade Commission on similar claims, which Burley said will be heard in May and June.
It appears that Samsung’s general strategy has become to hold off on seeking temporary injunctions barring the sale of Apple’s devices, and instead working to secure full trials in each case as soon as possible – this is like why Samsung decided not to attempt to block iPhone 4S sales in the company’s home country of South Korea.
Samsung is currently targeting the iPhone 4, iPad 2, and iPhone 3GS with its Australian legal actions, and is expected to add the iPhone 4S to the lawsuit at some point in the future.
The fiery legal battle between the two companies currently spans 10 countries, with more than 20 total complaints involved so far. So far, Samsung has yet to win a single injunction against Apple.
