Court orders Apple to publish notice saying Galaxy Tab not a copy of iPad

The now longstanding patent battle between Cupertino-based Apple Inc. and South Korean giant, Samsung Electronics has taken an interesting turn. If the latest report on the lawsuit proceedings on Bloomberg is the one to go by, then Apple has been ordered by Judge Colin Birss to publish a notice on its U.K. website and in British newspapers, informing consumers to the effect that the Galaxy Tab's design has not been copied from the iPad. Essentially, the notice that Apple has been asked to publish should highlight the court's July 9 decision, wherein it affirmed that Samsung’s Galaxy tablets do not infringe upon Apple’s patented designs. The report further reveals that, "The order means Apple will have to publish “an advertisement” for Samsung, Richard Hacon, a lawyer for Cupertino, California-based Apple, told the court. “No company likes to refer to a rival on its website.”"

Does not infringe on  the iPad's design

Only recently was it reported that a British judge in his ruling affirmed that Samsung's Galaxy tablets did not infringe Apple's designs for the iPad, because they were "not as cool". It was Judge Colin Birss, who in his High Court judgment noted that the Galaxy tablets were part of the 'same same family as the Apple design' when seen from the front. However, Samsung products, he noted, were "very thin, almost insubstantial members of that family with unusual details on the back".

According to the report, however, Apple's lawyer revealed that the company "would appeal the July 9 decision," and that Judge Birss have allowed the company to take their case forward to the court of appeal. 

The Apple - Samsung lawsuit has been one longstanding tussle. Apple and Samsung were friends once and share a complex relationship as Samsung is a key components supplier to Apple. Reports add that, "Legal experts say the two firms are far from a settlement. Samsung, for example, argues its technologies are worth 402,000 won, or 60 percent of the iPhone retail price of 671,000 won, on the basis that 3G is the only function differentiating the phone from Apple's digital music player iPod Touch. Apple says Samsung's technology should be confined to modem chip prices, or 2.9 percent of iPhone prices at best."

It further has been revealed in the report that on Sunday in Seoul, the head of Samsung's mobile division asserted that the company wanted to resolve differences with Apple. "There is still a big gap in the patent war with Apple. But we still have several negotiation options,"  JK Shin was further quoted as saying that he was leaving for the U.S to participate in the mediation talks.