About three months ago, Apple was handed a loss when a UK court ruled that Samsung hadn't copied the iPad in the production and design of its Galaxy Tab. The courts also ruled that Apple must publicly inform people that Samsung did not copy Apple's designs to correct any damaging impression people may have of Samsung as a result of the suit. Apple appealed that ruling, obviously, but lost last week and was once again told it had to publicly state Samsung's innocence on its UK website and in several other UK publications.
Today, Apple's statement showed up on its UK website. As you might expect, it's not exactly an apology, nor does it sing Samsung's innocence from the rooftops. Instead, Apple has published a very carefully worded statement that says, yes, Samsung was found not guilty in the UK, but also points out that the same cannot be said in other countries around the world. In addition, Cupertino also quoted the UK judge that said the Galaxy Tab was different from the iPad because it wasn't as cool. Ouch.
Check out the full statement below:
Samsung / Apple UK judgmentOn 9th July 2012 the High Court of Justice of England and Wales ruled that Samsung Electronic (UK) Limited’s Galaxy Tablet Computer, namely the Galaxy Tab 10.1, Tab 8.9 and Tab 7.7 do notinfringe Apple’s registered design No. 0000181607-0001. A copy of the full judgment of the Highcourt is available on the following link www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Patents/2012/1882.html.In the ruling, the judge made several important points comparing the designs of the Apple and Samsung products: "The extreme simplicity of the Apple design is striking. Overall it has undecorated flat surfaces with a plate of glass on the front all the way out to a very thin rim and a blank back. There is a crisp edge around the rim and a combination of curves, both at the corners and the sides. The design looks like an object the informed user would want to pick up and hold. It is an understated, smooth and simple product. It is a cool design.""The informed user's overall impression of each of the Samsung Galaxy Tablets is the following. From the front they belong to the family which includes the Apple design; but the Samsung products are very thin, almost insubstantial members of that family with unusual details on the back. They do not have the same understated and extreme simplicity which is possessed by the Apple design. They are not as cool."That Judgment has effect throughout the European Union and was upheld by the Court of Appeal on 18 October 2012. A copy of the Court of Appeal’s judgment is available on the following link www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2012/1339.html. There is no injunction in respect of the registered design in force anywhere in Europe.However, in a case tried in Germany regarding the same patent, the court found that Samsung engaged in unfair competition by copying the iPad design. A U.S. jury also found Samsung guilty of infringing on Apple's design and utility patents, awarding over one billion U.S. dollars in damages to Apple Inc. So while the U.K. court did not find Samsung guilty of infringement, other courts have recognized that in the course of creating its Galaxy tablet, Samsung willfully copied Apple's far more popular iPad.
