Friday, July 20, 2012

Apple vs Samsung: A British judge with a sense of humor

Apple's aggressive legal battle against Samsung, claiming in courts around the world that the Galaxy Tab was a copy of Apple's iPad has taken an interesting turn.   A British court has ruled that Samsung did not infringe upon Apple's patent rights, partly because the design of its tablets was "not as cool" as that of the Apple iPad.  My first thought when I read this in several media reports was something to the effect that you have to appreciate the British sense of humor! The entire legal ruling, by the England and Wales High Court, is available online, and the reference to coolness comes in the 190th paragraph of that ruling.
Moreover, when Apple released a public statement following the judge's initial ruling, he issued another ruling ordering that Apple take out ads in British newspapers and magazines, stating that Samsung did not copy its iPad.    Of course, this may not happen because it will be appealed by Apple.   This will be a saga to follow because, if nothing else, it illustrates some of the contemporay excesses of high tech patent law!

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