An Australian court has temporarily banned the sale of Samsung Electronics' tablet computer in Australia, a victory for Apple in its global patent dispute with the South Korean company.

澳大利亚一家法庭临时禁止三星平板电脑在国内的销售，这是苹果与这家韩国公司关于全球专利问题的一大胜利。

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Apple has repeatedly accused Samsung of 'blatantly copying' aspects of its mobile devices

Apple has accused Samsung of copying its touch-screen technology for its Galaxy² Tab 10.1.

The two companies are embroiled³ in legal battles in nine countries.

Samsung is one of Apple's biggest challengers in the smartphone and tablet industry.

The decision by the federal court threatens to hurt Samsung's position in the Australian market, as it could miss the lucrative⁴（赚钱的，合算的） Christmas season.

The two companies have been locked in patent disputes since April, with each accusing the other of infringing⁵ patents.

Apple has already won a victory in Germany, Europe's biggest economy, banning the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10.1. An appeal hearing is expected in that case.

Last week, Samsung said it would try to stop the sale of Apple's iPhone 4S in France and Italy, accusing the company of infringing（侵犯） 3D transmission patents.