An Apple store in New York
Consumer tech giant Apple must revise and repost a court-ordered statement on its website pertaining to its ongoing IP legal battle with Samsung, a judge in Britain has said.
Apple was to have also placed ads in UK newspapers and magazines providing clarity to consumers, explaining that Samsung did not copy its iPad tablet computer, following a ruling from The Court of Appeal. Apple was to also have linked to the judgment on its homepage.
The statement Apple posted does say “the Galaxy Tab 10.1, Tab 8.9 and Tab 7.7 do not infringe Apple’s registered design” but then goes on to quote British court documents, including a passage that says Samsung tablets are “not as cool” as Apple’s devices.
BBC News Online reports that Samsung complained the statement Apple was ordered to post on 18 October did not comply with the court order, and one of the judges in the case, Sir Robin Jacob, agreed.
Jacob said Apple’s original post “is a plain breach of the order” and the statements that indicate British courts are out of step with others in Europe are not true, Bloomberg reported.
Apple must now add a three-sentence note on its homepage in acknowledgement of “the incorrect statement,” with a link to a new notice within 48 hours.
Michael Beloff, QC, representing Apple, told judges the company had thought it had complied with the court order, the BBC reported.
“It’s not designed to punish,” Beloff said. “It’s not designed to make us grovel. The only purpose must be to dispel commercial uncertainty.”
Apple told the BBC it did not want to comment further.
