Apple has succeeded in securing a ban on Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 in U.S. stores. Late yesterday afternoon Judge Lucy Koh granted Apple’s request for a preliminary injunction on Samsung’s tablet. She declared that Apple had offered enough evidence to prove that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 infringes on some of Apple’s design patents. On those grounds, she said, “denial of an injunction would cause Apple irreparable harm,” and that “any further delay of the injunction is not justified.”

This ruling overturns a previous denial of the same request. The court previously ruled that although Apple had met most of the requirements necessary to justify an injunction, the design patent in question was invalid. A Federal Circuit Court overturned that portion of the ruling, clearing the way for this injunction to be issued.

In her ruling, Judge Koh says that Apple “has presented a strong case on the merits,” and that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is “substantially similar” to the design patent in question. To put it simply: Judge Koh is pretty sure that Samsung copied Apple with the Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Samsung, of course, wasted no time in responding. In what has to be some sort of record, it took them a mere five hours to file a notice that they planned to appeal the ruling.

It’s not clear when the injunction will go into effect – that is to say, when Galaxy Tabs will start being pulled from U.S. shelves. You can read Judge Koh’s ruling below:

Apple Samsung Injunction