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Apple posts its UK apology to Samsung

by shedside on 10/26/12, 8:16 AM with 110 comments

  • by chrisacky on 10/26/12, 9:55 AM

    This isn't even an apology in the slightest. It's only on the UK site as well. (I've checked .de .com .fr and it's no where to be seen, which makes sense if you are Apple).

    However, if they are going to display it only in UK, then they should have at least spelt "judgment" correctly. They use "/uk/legal-judgement/" (Over in UK there is only a single "e" not two).

    Anyway, totally not an apology. It looks more like an accusation and a reassertion how bitter they feel about the verdict, by cherry picking quotes to suite them.

    ------

    (Edit: In the interest of setting the point straight since this is the top comment and it seems to be getting wrongfully upvoted, Apple didn't legally have to "make an apology". They just had to make it clear that Samsung did not infringe Apples registered design [1]. However, I do think that in spite of quoting the judgment extract verbatim, they still fall short of this requirement, since they continue for 3 more paragraph drilling out other points that supported Apple).

         [1] : http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2012/1339.html#para87
    Sincerity at it's most "righteous":

         So while the U.K. court did not find Samsung guilty of infringement, 
     other courts have recognized that in the course of creating its Galaxy tablet,
     Samsung willfully copied Apple's far more popular iPad.

  • by duiker101 on 10/26/12, 8:28 AM

    "A judge said we must apology because we are cooler and so Samsung didn't copy because they aren't cool. But other judges said that we are cooler and Samsung still copied us! So we must be right!" Sincerely: a 6 year old.

  • by smegel on 10/26/12, 8:58 AM

    I don't really get why everyone is so down on Apple on HN (I am a Google/Android user FWIW).

    Sure they have pursued some questionable patent cases - but it is hard to deny they are one of the pre-eminent creators and makers in the world today - they have been truly innovative and brought massive change to multiple technology streams. They are about as far from being a hoarding patent troll as one could imagine yet that is how they seem to be portrayed in some parts of social media.

    Even if you strongly disagree with their approach to suing competitors, I would have thought the real innovation and change Apple has brought to the scene would count for something and result in some more balanced coverage.

    I think some of the specific patent cases Apple is pursuing against Samsung are a bit ridiculous (rounded corners), but I also think when you look at what Samsung has done as a whole, it is pretty clear they were ripping off Apple designs for a while (try and play spot the difference between a Apple 3GS and a Galaxy S1). Maybe Apple had to pursue the more silly specific patent cases because there was no way to patent the overall look-and-feel of a device (no lawyer here).

    Anyway just my 2c

  • by k-mcgrady on 10/26/12, 8:47 AM

    Is there a reason the OP thinks this is the apology? It isn't named as such, the URL doesn't help, and they don't apologise at all. It's just a summary of their legal battles with Samsung. How has the OP come to the conclusion this is the apology (am I missing something)?

  • by Nursie on 10/26/12, 8:49 AM

    <strike>This does not say 'Samsung do not infringe on our patent', which I had thought it was supposed to. It says 'this judge who think s our stuff is cool also thinks Samsung do not infringe'</strike>

    Either way the whole thing's ridiculous in the extreme. A flat panel with a screen isn't a novel design whoever made it, the magic is getting all the bits small and low-power and high resolution and bright and powerful enough for it to work.

    -EDIT- The actual text as specified by the judge forms the first part of the page, the rest is Apple giving it a little PR spin and casting doubt on the whole thing.

    Using the 1 billion US judgement as an example of how ou've been wronged is a bit of a stretch though, that thing's leakier than a colander.

  • by lunchladydoris on 10/26/12, 9:10 AM

    I wonder if the US office had any say in how this is written.

    As someone who has been a guest in the UK for nearly a decade, to me this reads like someone, as the British say, taking the piss.

  • by sparkinson on 10/26/12, 8:21 AM

    I think it does everything but apologise.

  • by macmac on 10/26/12, 8:25 AM

    Does anyone have a link to the actual order? If this is compliant, then the order is a joke.

  • by jrmg on 10/26/12, 11:24 AM

    The statement is - down to the word and link placement - as specified in the appeal ruling (http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2012/1339.html, paragraphs 84-87).

    Apple has added its own extra paragraphs though, which do change the tone.

  • by Tinned_Tuna on 10/26/12, 10:26 AM

    Well. That left a bad taste in my mouth. It was low and base, sounded like Apple clutching at strings -- trying to make the convince the public through almost-smear tactics.

  • by zeru on 10/26/12, 9:12 AM

    Im pretty sure they will have to post an actual apology which will be compliant with the court order. Because this has less than nothing to do with that. Try again, Apple.

  • by jofo25 on 10/26/12, 8:42 AM

    I thought they were required to in some way make the apology visible on their home page?

  • by zerostar07 on 10/26/12, 10:00 AM

    Apology or not, the fact that we 've come to judge technology products by whether they're cool or not is sad.

  • by semibored on 10/26/12, 9:15 AM

  • by nicholassmith on 10/26/12, 10:12 AM

    This is pretty much what I expected they'd do, but with the over obvious humour turned down and the sarcasm turned up to 11. It's definitely not an apology, and they did cherry pick the judges quotes very nicely.

    Did anyone seriously expect Apple to be contrite?

  • by dutchbrit on 10/26/12, 9:16 AM

    Not at all an apology, but I assume you were being sarcastic? :)

  • by klrr on 10/26/12, 8:46 AM

    Apple is a scam. :)