Apple was looking for a repeat performance of the somewhat botched launch of the HTC One X and HTC Evo 4G LTE in the U.S. by asking that the Galaxy S III be added to an existing request for a ban on the sale of a number of Samsung Galaxy devices due to claimed patent violations.
One of the patents in question is the very same one that caused the ITC to grant the ban on the HTC devices, namely the recognition of a numeric sequence or string of text that brings up an appropriate menu in response to a tap. The other is directed at S Voice and its similarities to Siri.
Well all of you Galaxy S III hopefuls can thank an overbooked U.S. legal system for saving you from having to wait any longer for your shiny new toy as Judge Lucy Koh has indicated that to entertain such a request now would delay the actual trial, currently scheduled to start July 30th, which Apple doesn't want to see happen.
As you are no doubt all aware, the Galaxy S III will be launching across all the major carriers between approximately June 21 and July 9th, so everyone should have a shot to pick one up.
To be clear, the fact that the ban wasn't issued doesn't indicate that the Judge is siding with Samsung, so come early August, if Apple emerges triumphant we could still see certain Samsung devices facing a ban in the U.S.
