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Apple slapped by UK court with Samsung full legal costs

Over here in the United Kingdom, the legal battle between Apple and Samsung over design infringement of the iPad, as I am sure you already know, resulted in the court finding in favour of Sammy. Apple was then ordered by the court to apologise to the Korean company by placing that apology to their UK website, and in UK newspapers.

Apple then kind of complied with the ruling, but the company included comments in that statement about they had won against Samsung outside the UK along with other comments stating a UK judge remarked that the iPad was a cool device when compared to the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

This didn’t go down well with the court and Apple was told to post an updated statement to their main UK page. Apple apparently told the UK court that it would take 14-days to change the statement, and this also didn’t do anything to appease the court, but the firm eventually did as requested.

However, according to an article over on Phone Arena, by way of Groklaw, Apple’s heel dragging and non-compliance with the UK court has lead to the court giving Apple another slap, with the judge ordering Apple to shell out for Samsung’s legal costs on an indemnity basis rather than a standard basis.

Usually the loser in a UK court case has to pay the costs of the winner, but this indemnity basis ruling takes paying those legal costs to the full extent of the law, and as such covers every penny of the legal fees, so therefore Apple has to foot the entire bill.

Basically the UK court is giving Apple a slap because they didn’t fully comply with the ruling, and was somewhat snide with their original apology to Samsung, which the court found was false and misleading.

Perhaps now Apple will realise that here in the UK when the court rules something, you have to comply with that ruling without trying to jazz it up in your favour, and that if you do so, you will get punished for it.

Image courtesy of Macmyth.

Comments

2 thoughts on “Apple slapped by UK court with Samsung full legal costs”

  1. Apple made the CLASSIC mistake of trying to cover up something it didn’t need to and having it BLOW UP IN THEIR FACE and giving it FAR MORE publicity and exposure than if they just did the right thing in the beginning.

    And they did this not just once, but THREE TIMES and counting.

    First by drafting the extremely poor “apology” that rather made them look like the annoying smart-alec kid in 6th grade that had snappy answers for the teacher for everything and always got sent to the dunce corner.

    Then they made the mistake of taking the piss with the judge and arguing there was “nothing wrong” with the first “apology” and that they would need 14 days to make any changes to the website.

    Now they’ve made the mistake of trying to “hide” the re-written “apology” on their website by artificially forcing it to appear off the user’s screen no matter the layout, screen resolution and zoom size of the browser.

    In each case Apple was reprimanded not only by the judges, but by the international media and by public opinion. They gave their humiliating defeat to Samsung in the already high-profile case at least THREE TIMES the amount of publicity that they needed to, and needlessly extended the story’s life cycle.

    Worse, they mocked and destroyed what little reputation they still had, and came across as an extremely arrogant, self-righteous, out-of-touch and disrespectful BULLY that not only showed CONTEMPT toward the law and legal system of the UK, but toward the public in general for thinking they would be “fooled” by the dishonesty of their “apology” and the dishonesty in manipulating the positioning of the “apology” on their website.

    Sadly it seems that without a strong leader, visionary and public icon like Steve Jobs to lead the company, Apple is falling apart much faster than anyone anticipated.

    With their share price having plummeted 170 points in just seven weeks and wiping off US$140 BILLION off their market cap, despite launching the iPhone 5, iPad Mini and iPad 4 in that timeframe, it is now obviously apparent the “Golden Era” of Apple built by Steve Jobs has come to a screeching end.

  2. Well said Buckus Toothnail …

    Perhaps now we might see Apple being properly chastised by the US Federal Authorities for the prompt and immediate payment of ALL THEIR TAXES OWED AND CONCEALED OFFSHORE.

    Before the little boys stamp their tiny feet and spew out routine Apple Corp guff about paying their due taxes in whatever country they stash their profits; let’s be very clear.

    What is needed is for Apple Corp to return all these hidden profits back to the USA.

    The same goes for any international Corporate which hides the taxes due to their home nation treasury.

    Play the game – and pay your taxes, and other dues – just like the rest of us.

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