With the exception of the Netherlands, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 has been barred from distribution in the European Union after being awarded a preliminary injunction (a separate lawsuit in the Netherlands is already underway). After a district court in Dusseldorf, Germany, granted the injunction, Apple spokesperson Kristin Huguet confirmed the injunction to Bloomberg. “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.” This comes shortly after the Galaxy Tab 10.1 launch was delayed in Australia after Apple pressured Samsung as they requested a preliminary injunction in that country. According to FOSS Patents:

Apple asked the Landgericht (district court) of Düsseldorf, Germany, to order an injunction under which Samsung is threatened with fines of up to EUR 250,000 (US$ 350,000) for each violation or imprisonment of Samsung’s management for up to two years in the event of continued infringement. Those are standard sanctions under German tort law for contempt of a preliminary injunction.

Huguet continued, “This kind of blatant copying is wrong, and we need to protect Apple’s intellectual property when companies steal our ideas.” Florian Mueller over at FOSS Patents writes, “The Düsseldorf district court has a reputation for being our equivalent of the Eastern District of Texas in terms of a strong tendency to favor the interests of right holders over those of alleged infringers.” Apple and Samsung will have a court hearing in Northern California in mid-october.

[via Bloomberg, FOSS Patents, DPA]