Android News: Samsung Galaxy Nexus Blocked in the Courts
Google was having a very good week, having announced and demo’d Android 4.1 “Jelly Bean” running on two new and highly attractive Galaxy Nexus 7 devices — fandroids were impressed. But the good news came to a screeching halt on Friday when Judge Julie Koh granted an Apple request for an injunction.
For the last week, Google and its I/O developer conference have owned the news cycle due in no small part to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, the first (and perhaps only) to offer the promise of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, writes Mashable.
Whereas Google has been handing out the attractive smartphone free to developers, civilians won’t be able to purchase the device following an injunction from US District Court Judge Julie Koh.
Apple Responds to Koh’s Ruling
“It’s no coincidence that Samsung’s latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad, from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging,” Apple said in a statement. “As we’ve said many times before, we need to protect Apple’s intellectual property when companies steal our ideas.”
This isn’t the first time Apple has won injunctions blocking the sale of Android smartphones and tablets. However, this time around the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is the first ever Jelly Bean smartphone and one of the primary issues cited by Judge Koh, related to Apple’s Siri digital assistant, is specific to Android 4.1.
That said, at least for the time being, the injunction effectively quashes Jelly Bean — whatever advantage Google’s latest Android update would have conferred has been put on ice. Further, the hardware template from the platform’s best selling licensee has been effectively shelved, double damage.
Of course, Apple will get endless grief for being litigious. Yet how can it be “OK” for Google, Samsung et al to so blatantly copy the iPhone and iOS…
What’s your take?