Attention seeking Ruslan Kogan has again jumped on the PR bandwagon, this time he claims the wont be selling Samsung Galaxy Tab because Apple threaten to sue.
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| Samsung Tab 10.1 banned for sale here. |
The only thing wrong with his story is that Kogan, under Oz federal law would not be allowed to sell a Galaxy Tab due to interlocutory agreements currently before the Australian Federal court.
“All we are trying to do is to provide the latest technology at the best prices. Pointless litigation is not our specialty,” head of Kogan Technologies told Fairfax Media today.
The colourful retailer, who was importing the tabs from South Korea, which has not yet been released in Australia, has broken under intense pressure from Apple not to stock rival Galaxy Tab 10.1v after Cupertino threatened to sue, he claims.
The 10.1v model was a limited edition tab, sold in several select countires only including Australia. Vodafone also flogged the device prior to the barring order.
Read Samsung Vs Apple About Gesture Not White Boxes & iPad 2 Design Here
Melbourne based Kogan, who specialises in knock down electronics goods, much of it self branded, had been importing the Galaxy Tab 10.1v from South Korea as well as selling the iPad 2.
However, Apple’s legal representation, requested Kogan cease sale of the device which was similar “to the ‘get up’ and packaging of the iPad”.
However, Kogan is far from happy with the move which would have seen the company become the sole supplier of the new Tab in Australia and have taken a jibe at Apple, accusing the giant of “stifling competition.”
Coincidentally, Apple and Samsung came head to head in a Sydney court today with iPad maker looking to ban the release of the new Tab 10.1, seen as a major threat to its current reign, meaning this timely statement by Kogan could be a cheap publicity stunt although Fairfax confirmed it has seen the letter from Apple’s legal team.
“There is a fine line between legitimately enforcing your intellectual property on the one hand, and just trying to stifle competition on the other – in our view Apple is very precariously walking that line,”David Shafer, Kogan’s executive director said.
However, in a communication to Apple, he branded the move a “gesture of goodwill,” even though Australian law would have forbidden the online retailer from doing so, in any case, if it had come before a court here.
Taking another shot at Apple, Shafer also questioned Apple’s claims that the Tab 10.1 is a copycat of iPad. Bet the e-tailer is at the top of Apple’s Christmas card list now.
