Galaxy Nexus Android Phone Banned in Apple-Samsung Patent Case

Joanna Stern
Google Confirms Galaxy Nexus Sales Stopped in Apple-Samsung Case, Fix Coming Next Week (ABC News)

While Apple and Samsung's phones and tablets battle it out on store shelves, the companies (and Google) have been battling it out in the courtroom in ongoing patent disputes. Apple has accused Samsung and Google with its Android software of copying the workings of its iPhones and iPads. Earlier this week the dispute came to a head as a California judge granted Apple an injunction - banning the sale of Samsung's Galaxy Nexus smartphone until the case is argued.

"In sum, Apple has shown a likelihood of establishing both infringement and validity," Judge Lucy Koh wrote in granting the injunction. The judge ordered Apple to post a $96 million bond for the injunction to take effect. Apple posted the money on Tuesday, making it illegal for the Galaxy Nexus phone to be sold in the U.S.

Samsung filed a motion to stay the ban, but Koh denied the request.

The Galaxy Nexus was the first phone to ship with Google's Android 4.0 operating system, known as Ice Cream Sandwich.

The injunction is primarily over the "Quick Search Box" found on the Galaxy Nexus, a feature that allows users to search the phone's memory and the web at once. Apple said it already holds a patent for a "universal interface for retrieval of information in a computer system."

On Monday night the Galaxy Nexus phone was pulled from Google's Play Store.

"Samsung is disappointed with the court's decision that denied our motion to stay. We believe today's ruling will ultimately reduce the availability of superior products to consumers in the United States," a Samsung spokesperson told ABC News. "We will continue to pursue an appeal of the Galaxy Nexus preliminary injunction, which we filed on July 2 to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Meanwhile, we are also working closely with Google to resolve this matter, as the patent in question concerns Google's unified search function."

Google told the technology site The Verge that it planned to issue a software update that would fix some of the disputed patent issues. The update, the company said, would disable users' ability to search the phone and just allow them to search the web. Thursday afternoon, no such update had been sent out to Galaxy Nexus phones. Google did not respond to ABC News' request for comment.

Apple's patent war with Google and Samsung continues. While Apple CEO Tim Cook has said that he doesn't enjoy the litigation and went as far to call it a "pain in the ass," he also said, "We just don't want people ripping us off."