Samsung has been forced to pull its new tablet computer from a major electronics fair in Berlin after a German court accepted a complaint from rival Apple. Apple lawyers terrified that people might want to buy the Galaxy Tab
rather than buying its product rushed into a court on Friday and demanded that Samsung stop showing off the new gizmo at the IFA show.

Part of the concern from Apple seems to be that if people see the Galaxy Tab, they might pick it up and think “I don't know what the hell Apple is going on about this is completely different”. Apple has done its best to create an impression that Samsung's latest toy has ripped off its design. This included fake pictures of the beast which made it look more Applish.

The district court in Duesseldorf has banned sales and marketing of the Tab and therefore showing at IFA was a bit naughty. Samsung said in a statement that it has therefore decided not to display  any more the Galaxy Tab 7.7 in the IFA. Samsung however vowed to take "all available measures, including legal options" to defend its presence in the European market.

Apple's legal antics is "severely limiting consumer choice in Germany” which we think is the whole idea. Friday's move by the Duesseldorf court follows an interim ban in late August on German sales of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1. That ban remains in force until the court makes its final ruling.

Samsung has launched counter-suits, claiming Apple nicked its ideas for wireless technologies. Apple has claimed that Samsung is just patent trolling. I think the phrase “takes one to know one” applies here.