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Samsung won't try to block Apple's iPhone 4S in South Korea

Samsung has announced it will not seek an injunction in its own country of South Korea against Apple's newly released iPhone 4S.

One reason for the company to avoid legal action against Apple was public relations concerns, according to Korea's Chosun Ilbo. The decision was said to have come at the last minute, as the iPhone 4S just went on sale in South Korea last Friday.

"We concluded that we should engage in legal battles with Apple only in the global market," a spokesperson for Samsung reportedly said, "but not in order to gain more market share in Korea."

It's a different approach from Samsung, which previously filed injunctions in Italy and France, attempting to block sales of the newly launched iPhone 4S. The previous injunction attempts cited two patents owned by Samsung related to 3G communications standards, covering Wideband Code Division Multiple Access, or WCDMA.

Samsung filed similar lawsuits in both Japan and Australia, also seeking to bar sales of the iPhone 4S. None of Samsung's attempts have gained traction thus far, as Apple's iPhone 4S continues a rapid worldwide rollout.

Apple, however, has successfully won bans on Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 in both Germany and Australia. Each company has accused the other of infringing on patented inventions, and the ensuing lawsuits filed by both companies span across the globe.