Samsung said Thursday that it will begin sales of a modified version of its Galaxy Tab tablet computer in Germany next week, as it seeks to bypass a sales ban asserted by Apple in the country. The revised Galaxy Tab 10.1 for the German market has been renamed the Galaxy Tab 10.1N and has two design modifications from the original version.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1N features a modified metal frame of the 10-inch tablet computer and the location of the speakers.

Samsung's mobile business in Germany hit a snag in September, when a German court ruled in favor of Apple that Samsung's tablet computers infringed upon Apple's design patents and banned sales and marketing activities of the Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Apple and Samsung have been engaged in a legal battle worldwide since Apple sued Samsung in the United States in April, saying the South Korean company's Galaxy line of mobile phones and tablets copied the iPhone and iPad.

Apple has scored preliminary injunctions against some Samsung products in Germany, Australia and the Netherlands, and further seeks to block sales of Samsung models in the United States.

Last month, Samsung was also forced to upgrade three of its smartphones to get around temporary sales bans on earlier versions of products that a Dutch court said violated an Apple patent.