If you have been following us regularly, back in July a UK court has ruled that Samsung’s Galaxy Tab “was not as cool” as the iPad and didn’t go on to infringe any patents that Apple hold.
The judge had also ordered Apple to post a notice on its website for 6 months and also publish an advertisement in several British newspapers and magazines stating the court order that “Samsung did not copy the iPad”.
Apple was quick to file an appeal and the order was stayed. And today, BBC News is reporting that “the appeal judges decided not to overturn the decision” and now Apple has to run the advertisements as ordered earlier.
If Apple wishes, the Cupertino based company can appeal in the UK Supreme Court otherwise the ruling applies across the European Union.
Apple was not available for a comment but Samsung’s spokesperson responded to the ruling and said,
“We continue to believe that Apple was not the first to design a tablet with a rectangular shape and rounded corners and that the origins of Apple’s registered design features can be found in numerous examples of prior art. 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.”
The appeals judges have also ruled that Apple could just post a small link on its website titled “Samsung/Apple judgement” and satisfy the posting requirement for its own website for a period of one month.
What is your take on the Samsung Vs Apple design patent war? Do you think that Samsung has copied the iPad’s design?