The latest update on the Apple vs Samsung “grudge match” over patents may not be that positive for the former company. However, fans of the latter company can breathe a sigh of relief, as the U.S. Court of Appeals granted a sales ban reprieve on Monday for the Galaxy Nexus co-branded smartphone.

Late last month, the Galaxy Nexus was banned for one week in the United States following accusations that Samsung had infringed on an Apple patent with its “Universal Search” function. That ban was lifted promptly, although some Galaxy Tab devices, which also allegedly bear similarities to Apple design and technology, remained banned.

Samsung may have won the battle, but they know they haven’t won the war yet. The stay on the sales ban is once again temporary. Samsung will appeal that the ban be totally revoked, and a hearing set on Monday, August 20, should take things a little further as the Court of Appeals will listen to the South Korean company and its legal representatives justify their appeal.

This patent controversy, however, is totally separate from the Apple-Samsung patent tiff that has been the talk of the tech world since last week. There was no time table given for the reprieve to expire.

Legal experts believe that it would be the court’s discretion as to when it should expire, but it would be more prudent for the stay on the injunction to remain for the entire duration of the appeals process.