Samsung offers Apple a deal to allow Galaxy Tab 10.1 launch in Australia

Samsung is pushing to launch the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia as soon as possible so it doesn't miss out on the holiday buying season, but sales of the device have been held up by a court injunction. Now, Samsung has attempted to smooth things over behind the scenes, according to The Wall Street Journal.

"It wasn't clear what Apple would gain from any agreement, as details of the proposed deal were not discussed in full in front of the court," the report said. "But Apple's attorney, Stephen Burley, conceded there was some potential benefit from an agreement on the matter. '(Samsung's) inconvenience would be diminished and we would be comforted' by such a deal, he said."

While the proposed deal would not entirely resolve the dispute between Apple and Samsung, in which Samsung has been accused of copying the look and feel of the iPhone and iPad, a truce between the two companies could allow the Galaxy Tab 10.1 to go on sale.

Samsung was forced to delay the launch of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in August due to its ongoing lawsuit with Apple. A judge in Australia did not yet rule on whether the Galaxy Tab infringes on Apple's patents, but did prevent sales of the device.

The legal battle between Samsung and Apple began in April, when Apple filed a lawsuit in the U.S. accusing Samsung of copying the look and feel of the iPhone and iPad. In addition to the ban in Australia, sales of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 have also been halted in Germany.

Samsung has fired back with its own lawsuits against Apple, accusing the iPhone maker of violating patents related to 3G wireless technology. The legal battle between the two technology giants now spans across the world, with lawsuits in four different continents.