UK court spanks Apple over ‘Samsung didn’t copy iPad’ note, orders a redo

We weren’t the only ones who found Apple’s UK court-ordered note, in which it admitted that Samsung didn’t copy the iPad’s design, somewhat lackluster.

The UK court of appeal has admonished Apple for adding additional text regarding other court cases to the note, finding it “non-compliant,” the Guardian reports. Judges at the court told the company this morning that it must reword the note within 48 hours, link prominently from its homepage until December 14, and use at least 11-point font.

The original Apple note felt like a half-handed apology from Apple, never mentioned the iPad by name, and it was filled with confusing legalese. But it seems the court had a bigger problem with Apple mentioning other court cases with Samsung in the U.S. and Germany, where the Korean electronics company was found guilty of infringing on Apple’s designs. Apple also included one statement from a UK judge where he described their products as “cool” and Samsung’s as not.

Apple attempted to object from the judges demands this morning, saying that a new draft of the note would take at least 14 days to create. One judge simply said he “cannot believe” that claim. (As legal excuses go, Apple probably could have some up with something a bit more weighty.)

The news is part of an ongoing legal battles between Apple and Samsung. A U.S. jury ruled that Samsung willfully infringed on Apple’s iPhone design patents and awarded Apple $1 billion in damages. Apple also requested that several Samsung smartphones be banned from sale in the U.S., but it will have to wait until a December 6 hearing to start arguing those injunctions.

Photo: Devindra Hardawar/VentureBeat