The legal battle between Apple and Samsung has spanned across many continents, and shows no sign of ending any time soon. The spat in the UK has turned particularly gruesome, too, with Apple being forced to go so far as to place apologies on its website after accusing Samsung of copying its hardware. That, obviously, didn’t go down well in Cupertino.
That apology has also managed to get Apple into hot water with the UK courts, however, with the wording coming under scrutiny. Seems that someone at Apple thought it was a good idea to be a little contrite about the written apology, doing their best to cause confusion by referencing a completely separate case based in the United States which went in Apple’s favor. This hasn’t met with approval in the UK courts, with Apple having already been ordered to re-write the apology, it is now being told to pay up too. How much? Glad you asked.
According to reports, Apple is now set to pay Samsung’s legal fees in full, in a move that is simply aimed at heaping as much embarrassment on Apple as possible.
Apple’s new, updated statement makes it clear that the original was not entirely accurate, which just makes the company look a little childish as a result.
On 25 October 2012, Apple Inc. published a statement on its UK website in relation to Samsung’s Galaxy tablet computers. That statement was inaccurate and did not comply with the order of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales. The correct statement is at Samsung/Apple UK judgment.
We doubt this is the end of the spat between Apple and Samsung in the UK, let alone worldwide, but that won’t stop us from hoping for a swift end to the madness which has seen endless suit and counter-suit for longer than we care to remember. In a world where innovation should surely be the key driver for both companies, we find ourselves faced with the battle being fought in the courtroom, rather than the high street.
Let’s hope that soon comes to an end soon before we see a new twist in the never-ending story of court battles and patent disputes.
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