Apple Inc (AAPL)

[SAE]

"It's no coincidence that Samsung's latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad, from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging," he said. "This kind of blatant copying is wrong, and we need to protect Apple's intellectual property when companies steal our ideas."

2nd UPDATE: US Judge Rejects Apple Request To Ban Samsung Galaxy

A U.S. judge rejected Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) request to ban sales of some Galaxy smartphones and tablet computers made by Samsung Electronics Co. (005939.SE, SSNHY) in the U.S., Samsung Electronics said Saturday.

The South Korean company said that U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, Calif., Friday denied Apple's request for a preliminary injunction in a patent lawsuit between the two companies.

Friday's ruling followed Samsung's victory Wednesday in its appeal against an injunction on sales of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia, also requested by Apple.

Samsung Electronics said it welcomed Friday's ruling. "We are confident that we can demonstrate the distinctiveness of Samsung's mobile devices when the case goes to trial next year," the company said in a statement.

Asked to comment, Apple Korea spokesman Steve Park reiterated the same statement Apple has made since the legal dispute began.

"It's no coincidence that Samsung's latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad, from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging," he said. "This kind of blatant copying is wrong, and we need to protect Apple's intellectual property when companies steal our ideas."

-By Jieun Shin and Jung-ah Lee, Dow Jones Newswires; 822-3700-1905; [e-mail]