A US District Judge has delayed Apple's plans to block the US launch of Samsung's Galaxy S III. Judge Lucy Koh says overseeing a ruling before the scheduled June 21st launch would effectively overload her calendar. Apple now has to request a new hearing date if it wants to block sales of Samsung's latest Android 4.0 device in the US, which would likely be scheduled after its launch.
The company faced a similar setback last week after Judge Richard Posner dismissed an Apple vs. Motorola patent trial scheduled to start on June 11th. Citing the need for both parties to put forth a valid case, Posner has been openly frustrated with both Motorola and Apple — who he believes have not proven how much any alleged patent infringements have cost. The latest delay does not end Apple's plans to get a court order blocking Galaxy S III sales, but it has clearly dashed its hopes of obtaining one before the smartphone launches on a variety of US carriers later this month.