More news concerning the legal battle between Apple and Samsung today, as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has issued an order that'll speed up the evaluation of Samsung's appeal of the Galaxy Nexus injunction. According to the order, Samsung must file its opening brief of the appeal by July 16, Apple will have until July 30 to file its own brief and then Samsung can issue its reply by August 6. An order scheduling an actual hearing will come later. The Federal Circuit also accepted amicus curiae briefs from Google and Sprint that are meant to try and help Samsung's case, as well as an Apple sur-reply to Samsung's motion for a stay on the Galaxy Nexus injunction.

The Apple v. Samsung news doesn't stop there! It's also been revealed that Apple sent letters to retailers ordering them to remove both the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Nexus from their shelves. According to filings from Samsung, Apple sent letters to the retailers in late June and early July (before the Galaxy Nexus injunction was stayed) explaining that the injunctions applied to Samsung as well as "anyone 'acting in concert' with them." Apple added that it believed that that meant that the injunction also applied to these retailers, so they must comply with the order and cease offering the products in question. Samsung described the letters as "menacing" and denied that the retailers are subject to the injunctions.

While the Federal Circuit's latest order doesn't really have an immediate effect on the Galaxy Nexus injunction or the stay on that ban, I'm sure Samsung is still pleased with today's decision. As FOSS Patents points out, the related trial isn't set to go down for another two years, but Samsung would probably like a decision on the appeal of the injunctions to be delivered much sooner. Now we wait for both Apple and Samsung to issue their respective briefs and then for a hearing to take place. I'm sure it won't be long before more details on the ever-growing Apple v. Samsung legal saga emerge, so keep it locked here for more.

Via The Verge, FOSS Patents (1), (2), Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (PDF)