How Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Cheated Apple's Ban?

In the Netherlands, Samsung is rolling out its Galaxy Tab 10.1 -- which is otherwise banned in Europe after Apple won an injunction against Samsung for violating the intellectual-property rights to its iPad.

Apple charges that the Galaxy Tab 10.1, a potential competitor to the iPad 2, has copied several elements of the iPad and has infringed on a number of Apple-owned patents.

Samsung calls Galaxy Tab 10.1, a thinner and lighter tablet than the iPad 2, flaunting a thickness of 0.33-inch and a weight of 1.25 pounds -- “the world’s thinnest mobile tablet."

The Android tablet is made out of plastic with curved edges and glossy black bezel contouring the display.

It features a 10.1-inch display, which is slightly larger than the iPad 2 at 9.7 inches. The screen resolution of Galaxy Tab 10.1 is 1280x800, which is higher than the iPad 2's 1024x768 display.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is powered by a 1GHz dual core processor, and has an internal memory configuration of 16/32/64 GB with a 1 GB RAM. It sports a 3MP rear and a 2MP front facing cameras. It offers 720p video capture and 1080p video playback support.

Apple is seeking to ban the sales of the Samsung tablet in the U.S. market as well.

Samsung has some 10 days more in its hands to challenge the European sales ban on its Galaxy Tab 10.1 in a German Court.

Importing, selling and promoting of Galaxy Tab 10.1 is blocked in and across most European Union states except the Netherlands.

If Samsung loses its market in Europe, it may deprive the company of an estimated half-million Galaxy Tab sales this year, Bloomberg reports.

If the Dutch judge rules in favor of Apple, a Dutch injunction will come into effect Oct. 13, just at the time when the iPhone 5 is expected to be released.

Samsung has tried attacking Apple back suing the later for infringement of UMTS patents in dozens of courts all over Europe.

“The damage to Samsung could get bigger if the patent-related suits with Apple aren’t sorted out quickly,” said Seo Won Seok, a Seoul-based analyst at NH Investment & Securities Co. “No court ruling has been made in the U.S., but you can’t rule out a possibility that there will be a similar situation.”