On a petition filed by electronics engineer Somasundaram Ramkumar, Madras High Court today restricted mobile handset  manufacturers Samsung, Mirc Electronics and Spice Mobile and several retailers like Ebay India and Rediff.com from manufacturing or selling handsets with multiple SIM holding.

Ramkumar, who holds the Indian patent (No.214388) for multiple SIM cards in a single mobile handset as well as plurality of bluetooth devices in headphone and earphone jacks, had accused few handset manufacturing companies and retailers of infringing his patent for multiple SIM mobile phones.

D Ferdinand, Ramkumar's lawyer, said on the basis of the petition filed, “Justice Jaypaul has issued an injunction whereby Samsung Electronics, Mirc Electronics and Spice Mobile were restrained from manufacturing multiple SIM holding mobile phones,'

The case will be taken for hearing on April 13th, reports Economic Times.

Taking in to consideration the Intellectual Property Rights (Imported Goods) Enforcement Rules 2007 to protect the petitioner's legal rights, Chennai custom’s officials in various cities have already seized import consignments of mobile handsets with plurality of SIM cards.

On hearing the development, Ramkumar said, 'This is my first step in establishing my right as a patent holder.' X