Apple Inc (AAPL) Ordered by Court to Publish Notice, Samsung Didn’t Copy IPad in U.K
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) was ordered by a U.S judge to publish an immediate notice on its U.K. website and in British newspapers to alert people about a ruling that Samsung Electronics Co. didn’t copy any designs for the iPad.
Judge Colin Birss said yesterday that the notice should outline the July 9 London court decision that Samsung’s Galaxy tablets don’t infringe Apple’s registered designs. The court verdict should be posted on Apple’s U.K. home page for six months and need to be published in newspapers and magazines to correct the South Korea-based company’s impression that it was copying Apple’s product, Birss said.
The order simply means Apple Inc will have to publish “an advertisement” for Samsung, according to the court order. A lawyer for Cupertino, California-based Company Apple Inc, Richard Hacon, told the court. “No company likes to refer a rival on its website.”
Apple Inc is fighting patent lawsuits around the globe against competitors including HTC Corp. (2498), Google Inc. and Samsung as it competes for the Smartphone and tablet computer market dominance. These firms have accused each other may times for copying designs and technology in their mobile devices. The legal battles about the similarity of Samsung and Apple tablets are being fought in the Netherlands, Germany and the U.S.
Judge Colin Birss said according to his July 9 ruling that Samsung’s tablets are unlikely to be confused with the iPad anymore because they are not as cool. Birss also declined yesterday to grant Samsung’s bid for a ruling, blocking Apple Inc from making public statements that the Galaxy infringed its design rights.
According to Apple’s lawyer, the company would appeal the July 9 decision and Judge Birss granted the company permission to take its case to the court of appeal.
The shares of Samsung rose 3.5 percent in South Korean trading today to 1,195,000 won. The shares of Apple ended down by 0.1 percent in New York trading yesterday.
