UK Judge Colin Birss made headlines – and a fair few fans, we imagine – back in July this year, when he ruled not only that Samsung didn’t rip off Apple, but that the Californians should issue a public statement absolving the South Koreans. Absolutely fantastic.
Needless to say Apple appealed the decision, and it looked like they might manage to wriggle out of it at one point, but the statement has now gone live. Hooray!
Head over to Apple UK then scroll to the bottom and you’ll find a little link for Samsung/Apple UK Judgement.
Amusingly, while Apple presumably meets the requirements of the ruling in acknowledging that Samsung is ultimately innocent, the Californians still manage to throw in a few cheeky digs.
For example, Apple notes that the judge observed: “The [iPad] 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."
Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy Tabs “do not have the same understated and extreme simplicity which is possessed by the Apple design. They are not as cool."
Ah, so that’s why the judge ruled in Samsung’s favour. Finally it all makes sense. Too bad, Samsung; it’s a bitter victory after all.
Apple also reiterates that Samsung has been found guilty of infringing on the same patent in Germany and the US. The statement ends: “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.”
Oh Apple, you cheeky devils.
