Hearing on Apple injunction vs Samsung set for December

A US judge on Tuesday set a December 6 court date to hear Apple Inc's  request for a permanent injunction against Samsung Electronics' smartphones, which could delay the potential impact of Apple's crushing legal victory.

Apple on Monday identified eight devices it will seek preliminary injunctions against, and said it would file for a permanent sales ban.

A hearing about the preliminary injunctions had been scheduled for September 20 but it is not clear if this issue will be addressed at that hearing or moved to December.

In an order on Tuesday, US District Judge Lucy Koh said that due to the scope of Apple's preliminary injunction request, she believed it was "appropriate" that various post-trial motions be consolidated.

The September 20 hearing will be devoted to Samsung's request to dissolve a sales ban against its Galaxy Tab 10.1. The jury sided with Samsung on that part of the case.

Apple's permanent injunction request will be considered in December -- after attorneys file detailed legal arguments. Representatives for Apple and Samsung could not immediately be reached for comment.

Apple was awarded $1.05 billion in damages last week after a US  jury found Samsung had copied critical features of the iPhone and iPad.

The verdict sent Samsung's shares tumbling on Monday as investors fretted about the potential impact to its sales with the peak US holiday season just months away. They have since regained some ground to trade 4.6 per cent below their pre-verdict price.

The case inUS District Court, Northern District of California, is Apple Inc v. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd et al, No. 11-1846.