It's become hard to track all of the wins and losses coming out of the escalating patent battles between Apple and Samsung, especially in Europe, but here we are again. A Munich court today denied Apple's recent request for a preliminary injunction on Samsung's new Galaxy Tab 10.1N and Galaxy Nexus devices in Germany, according to a Bloomberg report. The patent asserted by Apple in this German case is directed to touch screen technology, and not Apple's European design rights on device aesthetics. While Apple's request for a preliminary ban was denied, the case isn't over - it'll continue on a normal track, with Samsung permitted to sell its Galaxy Tab 10.1N and Nexus devices in the meantime.

In denying the motion, the judge stated that Apple's patent was likely invalid for covering "technology that was already on the market before the intellectual property had been filed for protection." It's unknown at this time exactly what invalidating prior technology the judge is referring to, but we'll look into it further and provide updates of any new developments.