Australian court to rule on Apple v Samsung case

An Australian court will rule Thursday whether Samsung Electronics should be barred from selling its Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet computer in the country on the grounds that it copied Apple's top-selling iPad. Federal Court Justice Annabelle Bennett is scheduled to deliver her long-awaited judgement and a summary at 0100 GMT, a court spokesman said. Apple launched legal action against the South Korean company in Australia in August, accusing it of intellectual property infringements relating to its touch screen technology. The American firm is seeking a ban on the sale or promotion of the latest Galaxy in Australia. Samsung disputes the claims. The companies are already embroiled in a patent dispute over smartphones and tablet computers in the United States, with both sides filing infringement claims against the other in an escalating feud. Legal action is also ongoing in South Korea. Apple won its battle with Samsung in Germany earlier this month when a court ruled the Galaxy Tab 10.1 had copied the iPad, and banned it from sale in that country.