Apple Must Publicly Post That Samsung Did Not Copy iPad

microcars writes "A judge in the U.K. has ordered Apple to post a notice on its website and in British newspapers alerting people to a ruling that Samsung Electronics Co. didn't copy designs for the iPad. This is the same Judge who ruled earlier that Samsung's Galaxy Tab was not as cool as Apple's iPad."

Comments

And we can expect

[AliasMarlowe]

We can expect that Apple will wriggle to avoid doing this in any meaningful way. What's the smallest size ad they can place? What's the smallest typeface? Do all elements need equal prominance?
They'd likely put a huge ad saying "Buy Apple iPad, the judge said it's cool" in a large font with the "Samsung did not copy" message in a tiny font in a corner of the ad (maybe even upside-down text). They'll go as far as they think they can while avoiding a contempt finding.

Re:And we can expect

[Ynot_82]

This is all over the front pages of the major UK news outlets
People know about this, regardless of what Apple put on their website

Re:And we can expect

[Divebus]

One way to spin it: "OUR MISTAKE! Sorry, but the Samsung tablet is NOTHING like the iPad. Nothing at all. If you can find any similarities in the two products, they would merely be a coincidence. That's what we get for buying components from Samsung. Who knew they were already going to make a tablet and we're just using their parts? That's why the parts were so cheap - they were already making them. It was us who was late to the game. Besides, it's a COMPLETELY different shape than the iPad. Totally different. The Galaxy Tab is actually more similar to the other dozen counterfeit iPads... er... original tablet ideas independently developed a year or two later on the market today."

I spent over a year in Korea and they fucking copy EVERYTHING. Ever notice how the entire lineup of Hyundai copycat cars make you do a double take? There's one that looks like a BMW, a Mercedes, a Jaguar, a Bentley... you name it, they copy it. I almost bought a beautiful camera in Yongsan for an unbelievable price until I double checked the real spelling of Hasselblad. Korea is home to the finest counterfeit luxury goods in the world. No surprise here. Move along.

Idea?

[Anonymous Coward]

How about a system something like this:

If you file a frivolous patent case against a competitor and lose, you must advertise for the said product on your website for X time period, give a public statement/apology AND you must also pay the defendant's legal expenses.

Maybe something like that would deter more patent trolling?

Re:A patent troll public shaming. Interesting

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes. Apple innovated the shit out of that rounded rectangle.
/sarcasm

Re:A patent troll public shaming. Interesting

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe obvious to you, but I know lots of people who think other tablets must be having very similar functionality as iPad because, they have same size, shape, touchscreen and outward appearance. Try telling them that they are not related to each other and are independently developed and see how many of them believe you.

I don't own iPad, instead own Android tablet that I bought with the same expectations that it would work as good as iPad. Unfortunately, the specific Android tablet (Toshiba Thrive) does not support Cisco VPN Anyconnect app (supported on iPad) and hence I can't use for my office use. It is now just a game machine for my kids. Yes, I feel like ripped off due to similarity between the two products outward appearance.

Re:A patent troll public shaming. Interesting

[Nyder]

hey protect their own innovations to an extent they deem reasonable

I'm pretty sure they didn't "innovate" a rectangle with rounded corners.

Hell no, Chiclets http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiclets are rectangular and have rounded corners, and have been around since 1906.

Re:A patent troll public shaming. Interesting

[amRadioHed]

Those examples are all of Google using it's patent portfolio to fight back against companies that struck first with patent suites. They are keeping a clean image by actually staying clean.

Re:A patent troll public shaming. Interesting

[thetoadwarrior]

I'm not sure I can call an exceptionally wealthy company going after Nokia who's knocking on death's door a defensive move especially when they could have always filed the antitrust suit against MS which would have made more sense given it's MS that is benefiting much more by going after Android hardware companies. But that would mean going after someone who is equally as strong and it's much easier to try and bankrupt Nokia and kill of a WP manufacturer. Just as MS should go after Google but they pick on the weaker guys.

And quite frankly allowing HTC continue the whole problem of patent lawsuits rather than actively trying to fix it doesn't help anyone but themselves (and HTC) and they could have kept those patents and went after Apple but they didn't. They're trying to have their cake and eat it too imo to keep their image clean, imo so yes I'll admit there isn't *that* much at the moment but I think that's going to change.

Re:They make very GOOD rip-offs

[Divebus]

That's really the crux of the issue. It's much easier for someone else to do all the engineering and hard work it takes to create an experience that nobody ever had - and copy it at a fraction of the cost. That goes for "Hassalblad" cameras and "Rolodex" watches. They've got no skin in the game except the expense of pulling molds off the original. In the US, they arrest people for having Louis Vuitton or Gucci knockoff hand bags. By that measure, Samsung qualifies. So does Hyundai but we can't see past the acquisition price. No doubt, they make really good ripoffs,but we bear (or submerge) the guilt of ripping off the originator when we buy it. Of course it's a good value, even if it lasts half as long.

I wanted new shoes over there and the local shoe shop in Itaewon handed me a Sears catalog. A real one. I pointed to the shoes I wanted and they had them custom made the NEXT DAY for 10% of the Sears price. Can't resist supporting that.

I have that Top Gear episode. Love that series. The real one.