Apple (AAPL) Moves to Ban iPhone Rival in the U.S.

Days after a major legal victory against its rival Samsung, Apple (AAPL) wasted no time in seeking an immediate ban on the sale of Samsung devices found to infringe its patents.

In a preliminary sales injunction filing Monday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Apple’s lawyers moved to block the sale of eight Samsung mobile devices from U.S. shops. The targeted products, all of which are still available in the U.S. market, include the Galaxy S 4G, Galaxy S Showcase, Droid Charge, Galaxy Prevail, and four separate versions of the Galaxy S II.

Together, those phones accounted for $1.3 billion in Samsung’s U.S. sales during the first two quarters of the year, according to the WSJ.

Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S III phone, which was not included in the trial, may still be banned in a ‘contempt proceeding’, legal experts say.

Many on Wall Street believe Apple now has momentum behind it over Samsung, after a jury’s decision on Friday that the South Korean-based firm had infringed on Apple’s patents in a number of cases, awarding the world’s most valuable company more than $1 billion in damages.

“The evidence and weight of the case are heavily in Apple’s favor,” Jefferies & Co analyst Peter Misek was quoted as saying to Reuters news. “We expect there’s a two-thirds chance of an injunction against Samsung products.”

The proposed injunction hearing for Samsung’s eight smartphones at which the bans will be decided — Apple has to prove to the court that it will be irreparably harmed if these eight devices are not banned in the country — is scheduled for September 20th.

Samsung vowed to fight any potential ban.

In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, Samsung said: “We will take all necessary measures to ensure the availability of our products in the U.S. market.”

If U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh rules in Apple’s favor, Samsung can still delay the ban it if it appeals.

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