Vodafone’s German subsidiary on Monday night won a court injunction barring rival Deutsche Telekom from selling Apple’s iPhone mobile telephone on the grounds that its locked link to DT’s network may be against the law.

A German spokesman for Vodafone, which does not sell the iPhone (below) in any market, said the company was pursuing legal action only in Germany as it felt specific national rules on access to networks were being broken. But the UK company’s case – which DT stresses will not disrupt sales of the iPhone as Christmas purchases accelerate – seems driven by a wider fear the device could come to challenge established business models. The spokesman said Vodafone Germany was worried DT’s willingness to sell the iPhone “locked” only to its T-Mobile network – and without the customary discounts – “could introduce a new model for the market”.