Apple loses 'cool' appeal over Samsung tablet design

Apple loses 'cool' appeal over Samsung tablet design
Justice: achieved

A UK court has upheld its ruling that the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 has not copied the iPad's design.

It's a bittersweet win for Samsung, as the original ruling concluded that its tablet designs were not as "cool" at the iPad, and that point still seems to stand.

Apple appealed the ruling in part because it lost, but also because part of the verdict requires the company to run adverts proclaiming that Samsung did not copy it.

Opposites day

Update: Sir Robin Jacob, one of the judges in the case, explains the ruling: "It is not about whether Samsung copied Apple's iPad. Infringement of a registered design does not involve any question of whether there was copying: the issue is simply whether the accused design is too close to the registered design according to the tests laid down in the law.

"So this case is all about, and only about, Apple's registered design and the Samsung products."

Over in the US, courts have sided with Apple over the question of whether Samsung copied the iPhone design, as well as infringing a few software patents.

The cost of this ruling to Samsung runs into the billions, although the Korean company is appealing the verdict.

Meanwhile, the rest of the world is getting a bit sick of the neverending patent disputes, with heavyweights from the UN to Jeff Bezos saying it's time everyone just got along.

Yeah, we'll believe it when we see it. Meanwhile, we have no doubt that a new round of patent filings is set to hit the headlines when Apple launches its iPad Mini next week.

From BBC

News Editor (UK)

Former UK News Editor for TechRadar, it was a perpetual challenge among the TechRadar staff to send Kate (Twitter, Google+) a link to something interesting on the internet that she hasn't already seen. As TechRadar's News Editor (UK), she was constantly on the hunt for top news and intriguing stories to feed your gadget lust. Kate now enjoys life as a renowned music critic – her words can be found in the i Paper, Guardian, GQ, Metro, Evening Standard and Time Out, and she's also the author of 'Amy Winehouse', a biography of the soul star.