After Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet, US court halts sales of Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Apple Inc scored a second patent victory against its arch rival Samsung Electronics in less than two days after a US court yesterday ordered the South Korean electronics giant to stop sales of its Galaxy Nexus smartphone in the US until it decides on Apple's patent infringement allegation.

The setback for Samsung comes after Judge Lucy Koh of the US district court in San Jose, California this week granted Apple's plea of temporarily halting sales of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet in the US market. (See: US court blocks Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 sales in the US) 

Lucy Koh yesterday ruled that the Galaxy Nexus smartphone likely infringes on four of Apple's patents, including the voice-activated patent called Siri that Apple has used in its latest iPhone 4S.

"Apple has made a clear showing that, in the absence of a preliminary injunction, it is likely to lose substantial market share in the smartphone market and to lose substantial downstream sales of future smartphone purchases and tag-along products," Judge Koh said in the ruling.

However, Judge Koh asked Apple to post bonds of $96 million to enforce the rare pre-trial injunctions, and if a higher court overturns the ruling, the $96 million bond will be given to Samsung as compensation for the losses it incurred during the ban period.

Koh will now consider whether to hold on to her order in both the Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Tab pending appeal.