UK Judge Rules Samsung Tablets 'Not as Cool' as iPad

With the avalanche of patent lawsuits involving Apple, we try to restrict our coverage to the most significant developments such as issued injunctions, final settlements, and monetary awards.

But while a UK judge's ruling today that Samsung's Galaxy Tab products do not infringe upon Apple's iPad design merely maintains the status quo from a competitive perspective in one of the many ongoing cases between the two companies, what is sure to spark discussion is the judge's assessment that the Galaxy tablets are simply "not as cool" as the iPad. Bloomberg reports:

The Galaxy tablet doesn’t infringe Apple’s registered design, Judge Colin Birss said in a ruling today in London. He said that consumers weren’t likely to get the two tablet computers mixed up.

The Galaxy tablets “do not have the same understated and extreme simplicity which is possessed by the Apple design,” Birss said. “They are not as cool.”

galaxy tab 10 1 revised
More specifically, Birss ruled that the Galaxy tablets' thinner profiles and "unusual details" on the back of the devices made them different enough from the iPad that they were not too similar to Apple's design.

Apple has 21 days in which to appeal the ruling.

Related Roundup: iPad
Tag: Samsung
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

Top Rated Comments

Kerm Avatar
140 months ago
"Apple has 21 days in which to appeal the ruling."

Now if Apple wants to appeal the ruling, they'll have to argue that the Samsung tablet is "as cool" as the iPad.
Score: 103 Votes (Like | Disagree)
canyonblue737 Avatar
140 months ago
Hahahaha... even when you win you lose Samsung.
Score: 74 Votes (Like | Disagree)
caligomez Avatar
140 months ago
LOL.. It's official! Samsung tablets not as cool as iPad.. Now there's precedent!
Score: 62 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dokujaryu Avatar
140 months ago
Classic.

I wish all patent cases were ruled on coolness factor.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kalsta Avatar
140 months ago
The comment is silly and ultimately meaningless. But I am sure it will be quoted infinitely here to the point of tedium.

Can anyone lend this man a sense of humour?
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dangerous Theory Avatar
140 months ago
Wonder who's more gutted? Lol
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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