Dutch court ruling could see Samsung's Galaxy phones pulled from sale across Europe

Another serious blow was dealt to Samsung today as a preliminary injunction was handed out by a court in the Netherlands in the ongoing patent battle between the South Korean firm and Apple.

The injunction stipulates that all sales of Galaxy-branded phones in the country - including the new Galaxy S II and original handset - will have to cease within seven weeks of the court order.

Given it's believed Samsung's logistical hub for Europe operates out of the Netherlands, the ruling would also have an impact on operations in other major European territories, with the firm's phones blocked from sale in a total of 32 countries - the UK, France, and Germany included.

The legal dispute is still very much in flux at the moment, and this initial assessment of Apple's case will not necessarily reflect the final verdict from the courts.

Indeed, as IP activist Florian Mueller points out, Samsung could in fact sidestep the Europe-wide ruling, were it to reorganise its logistical setup across the continent.

"If Samsung's Korean parent company wants to exercise its freedom to ship into other European countries despite this injunction, it will have to reorganise its logistics chain in Europe accordingly," Mueller states.

However, the ruling does suggest the American company's evidence is compelling enough for further consideration.

Apple and Samsung are also currently fighting it out over the recently released Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the German courts, which saw a similar injunction temporarily lifted last week in most European countries, with the notable exception of Germany itself.