Samsung fans in Australia will not be able to have their hands on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet in the recent future as the Federal Court granted Apple an injunction that restrains the Suwon, South Korean electronics giant from selling its tablet until the two companies' patent row is resolved.

Federal Court Justice Annabelle Bennett ruled that the Cupertino, Claifornia-based Apple had a prima facie case that Samsung infrienged upon two of its patents concerning touchscreens and the gestures that control them.

Pronouncing the judgment, Ms Justice Bennett said, "From April 15, when proceedings commenced in the US, Samsung proceeded with its eyes wide open.. There were several factors that favored Apple."

Earlier, Samsung had announced that it would cancel the release of the Galaxy 10.1 tablet in Australia if Apple was granted the injunction as missing the Christmas season would make the tablet "dead" by the time it reached market.

In August this year, a German court temporarily blocked sales of Galaxy tablets, in a ruling that has been appealed by Samsung.

The gadget makers are locked in various patent disputes in a number of countries, including South Korea, Japan and the Netherlands, as a part of their efforts to dominate the fast-expanding global electronics market.