In what could be an embarrassing moment for Apple Inc, a British judge has ordered the company to publish an ad in its U.K. website and other newspapers saying that Samsung did not copy its design for the iPad, according to Bloomberg.
Judge Colin Birss ruled that the notice should outline the July 9 London court decision that Samsung's Galaxy tablets don't infringe Apple's registered designs; it should be posted on Apple's U.K. home page for six months and published in newspapers and magazines to correct any impression the South Korea-based company was copying Apple's product, reported Bloomberg.
However, he declined to grant Samsung's bid for an injunction blocking Apple from making public statements that the Galaxy infringed its design rights, added the news agency.
Briss had earlier ruled that Samsung's tablets are not as cool as Apple's iPad, and so there's no room for confusion among the public.
"Should Apple continue to make excessive legal claims based on such generic designs, innovation in the industry could be harmed and consumer choice unduly limited," Samsung said in a statement after the hearing.
Apple and Samsung have been at loggerheads for a quite a long time now, acussing each other of violating patenting laws. The two giants in consumer electronics are waging patent war in several countries.
Apple sued Samsung last year over patent infringement. It managed to stop sales of Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet and Galaxy Nexus smartphone in the United States recently.
However, Samsung later won an appeal to allow its sales after reportedly updating software for its Galaxy Nexus mobile phones. Internet giant Google has provided software for the smartphone. The trial of the long-fought battle is scheduled to begin on July 30.
(With Inputs from Reuters)
