A court in the US has granted an preliminary injunction to Apple, effectively blocking the sale of the Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet computer in the country.

U. S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose ruled on Tuesday in favor of Apple after not agreeing with a similar plea in December. The judge ruled, “Although Samsung will necessarily be harmed by being forced to withdraw its product from the market before the merits can be determined after a full trial, the harm faced by Apple absent an injunction on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is greater.”

The preliminary injunction will be in place while Samsung fights Apple's patent infringement claims. Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet has again quoted previous remarks accusing Samsung of "blatant copying". The spokeswoman also said that it is not a coincidence that the company’s products look much similar to the iPhone and iPad.

The world's two biggest makers of high-end phones have engaged in a worldwide patent way against each other. The two companies are engaged in an intense legal war around the world over patent infringements. Apple, based in Cupertino, California, and Samsung have been locked in patent disputes concerning mobile technology and design since April 2011.