Apple Blocks Samsung Galaxy Tab Import in Australia

Apple has blocked the import of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 multimedia tablet in Australia thanks to a court agreement. The iPad maker has sued Samsung in Australia, as well as eight other countries, over patent infringement claims, and now the company has agreed to keep the Galaxy Tab 10.1 out of the country until their court room battle has been resolved.

Want a Galaxy Tab 10.1? Not in Australia.Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be hard to come by in Australia

The agreement, according to Bloomberg, means Samsung won’t advertise or sell the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia until the lawsuit has been resolved, or the court grants approval for in-country sales. In exchange, Apple will pay Samsung an unspecified amount should it lose the lawsuit.

Apple and Samsung have been locked in a legal battle over patent infringement claims for several months. Both companies have alleged that the other’s mobile devices use patented technologies without proper licensing. Both have filed lawsuits in the U.S. and other countries.

Samsung is also facing a potential import ban in the United States, too. Apple filed for a preliminary injunction in U.S. District Court in Northern California in early July to block the import of the Galaxy S 4G, Driod Charge, Infuse 4G and Galaxy Tab 10.1. A ruling hasn’t been announced yet.

Apple hasn’t commented on its agreement with Samsung in Australia.