Apple just published a statement on its UK website to correct a previous apology that had been found inaccurate by the Court of Appeal of England and Wales. The statement can be found at the bottom of Apple UK website‘s home page, and links to a longer statement acknowledging that Samsung didn’t copy the iPad.
This “updated” statement comes several days after Apple published a public apology on its website, at the request of the Court…
About a week ago, the High Court of England and Wales ruled against Apple’s appeal in the ongoing battle against Samsung. The UK court found that Samsung didn’t infringe on Apple’s design patent and required the American company to post an apology on its UK website to say that Samsung didn’t copy the iPad.
Apple complied, albeit in a very cheeky way, by posting a rather funny apology on its UK website claiming that Samsung products are different from Apple’s products because they “are not as cool“. This wasn’t of everybody’s taste, especially for Judge Robin Jacob, who ordered Apple to correct the inaccurate statement promptly.
If you go to the Apple UK website, you will find the following statement at the bottom:
On 25 October 2012, Apple Inc. published a statement on its UK website in relation to Samsung’s Galaxy tablet computers. That statement was inaccurate and did not comply with the order of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales. The correct statement is at Samsung/Apple UK judgement.
This statement links to the official statement:
Samsung / Apple UK judgment
On 9 July 2012 the High Court of Justice of England and Wales ruled that Samsung Electronic (UK) Limited’s Galaxy Tablet Computers, namely the Galaxy Tab 10.1, Tab 8.9 and Tab 7.7 do not infringe Apple’s Community registered design No. 0000181607-0001. A copy of the full judgment ofthe High Court is available from www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Patents/2012/1882.html.
That Judgment has effect throughout the European Union and was upheld by the Court of Appeal of England and Wales on 18 October 2012. A copy of the Court of Appeal’s judgment is available from www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2012/1339.html. There is no injunction in respect of the Community registered design in force anywhere in Europe.
No more sassy comment but just a plain and boring statement, which is probably what Apple should have done in the first place, but the desire to play the cool kid was probably too strong for Apple at the time.
This is one of many episodes in the courtroom battle between Samsung and Apple. I’m sure we haven’t seen the end of it yet.