The Galaxy Tab 10.1 still isn't as cool as the iPad, but that's a good thing when it comes to Samsung's European plans. Today, a British appeals court upheld an earlier judgment that the Galaxy Tab 10.1's look and feel does not infringe on Apple's design patents, largely because they "do not have the same understated and extreme simplicity which is possessed by the Apple design."
It gets worse for Apple: the company now has to post public apologies in British newspapers stating that Samsung didn't rip off the iPad's design. Apple's UK website needs to post the same apology for one month, as well as link to the apology from the site's main page.
That's embarrassing, but the ruling holds deeper international implications for the Cupertino company. The judgment is valid throughout Europe, Reuters reports, which should bar Apple from bringing additional design infringement claims against the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in other European Union countries. Apple can still sue Samsung over alleged non-design hardware and software issues, however. Apple recently won a $1 billion case against Samsung in the United States, with a second case covering separate patent claims slated to start soon.
Samsung released the following statement: "We continue to believe that Apple was not the first to design a tablet with a rectangular shape and rounded corners."
