Samsung

A U.S. judge today rejected Samsung's appeal of a preliminary injunction against U.S. sales of its Galaxy Tab 10.1, according to Reuters.

U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh granted an Apple request last week for a preliminary injunction against the Android-powered tablet, largely considered a front-runner to challenge the iPad. Samsung had asked the court to suspend the order pending resolution of an appeal.

While Apple has already posted a $2.6 million bond as required to initiate the injunction, that doesn't necessarily mean sales of the tablet will immediately cease in the U.S. Samsung has also appealed the injunction to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, a Washington, D.C. court that specializes in intellectual property disputes.

CNET has contacted Apple and Samsung for comment and will update this report when we learn more.

Apple has been trying desperately to secure a U.S. ban on Samsung's tablet since April 2011, when it filed a lawsuit in California accusing the Korea-based electronics giant of copying "the look and feel" of its iPad tablet and iPhone smartphone. Apple scored a win last October when Koh ruled that Samsung's line of Galaxy tablets infringe on Apple's patents.

Samsung, meanwhile, has fired back with its own patent-related claims against Apple. In addition to the U.S., the battle has touched down in Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, parts of Asia, France, and Italy.

Samsung is also fighting an Apple-requested preliminary injunction against its Galaxy Nexus phone. The company filed an appeal of the order with the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit that seeks a stay of the injunction for the duration of the appeal.