Apple loses UK appeal, must place ads saying Samsung is no copycat
Apple just lost one appeal they certainly were hoping to have reversed. A panel of judges in the UK has upheld an earlier ruling that Samsung’s Galaxy Tab did not copy the design of Apple’s iPad. You might recall that at the time of the initial ruling, a judge made the backhanded statement that Samsung’s tablet was not as “cool” as Apple’s. You might also recall the punishment handed down, which ordered Apple to post notice on their website and in several publications explicitly stating that Samsung did not copy their designs.
The judges said that such an “acknowledgement must come from the horse’s mouth,” adding, “Nothing short of that will be sure to do the job completely.” The ruling could still be appealed to the UK Supreme Court, but it currently appears as though Apple has no plans to do so.
The results of the case could have much larger implications, as the ruling is valid throughout Europe and could prevent Apple from taking further legal action against Samsung based on this particular design claim. The decision contrasts recent developments in the US, where Apple won a $1 billion dollar settlement after bringing similar patent and design infringement claims in front of a California courtroom.
Samsung said of the ruling, “We continue to believe that Apple was not the first to design a tablet with a rectangular shape and rounded corners. Should Apple continue to make excessive legal claims in other countries based on such generic designs, innovation in the industry could be harmed and consumer choice unduly limited.” Apple had not comment.
[via BBC]