UK Judge Rules Apple Must Publish Notices Acknowledging Samsung Did Not Copy iPad - MacRumors
Skip to Content

UK Judge Rules Apple Must Publish Notices Acknowledging Samsung Did Not Copy iPad

Business Insider points to a Bloomberg bulletin indicating that a UK judge has ruled Apple must display on its UK website and in British newspapers a notice acknowledging that Samsung did not copy the design of the iPad with its Galaxy Tab 10.1. The UK court had previously ruled that the Galaxy Tab did not infringe upon Apple's design, with the judge observing that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is simply "not as cool" as the iPad.

galaxy tab 10 1 revised
According to the news flash, Apple will need to post the notice on its UK website for six months. Apple can presumably still appeal the ruling, although that information has not yet been disclosed.

We'll update this article once the full Bloomberg report is available.

Update: Bloomberg's article has gone live with additional details on the situation.

The notice should outline the July 9 London court decision that Samsung’s Galaxy tablets don’t infringe Apple’s registered designs, Judge Colin Birss said. It should be posted on Apple’s U.K. website for six months and published in several newspapers and magazines to correct the damaging impression the South Korea-based company was copying Apple’s product, Birss said.

The order means Apple will have to publish “an advertisement” for Samsung, and is prejudicial to the company, Richard Hacon, a lawyer representing Cupertino, California-based Apple, told the court. “No company likes to refer to a rival on its website.”

Samsung had also requested that Apple be barred from making public statements claiming that the Galaxy Tab had infringed upon the iPad design, but Birss ruled that Apple is within its rights to make such claims in line with the company's belief that the ruling is incorrect.

Related Roundup: iPad
Tag: Samsung
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

Apple Glasses Purple Feature

Samsung Set to Beat Apple to AI Smart Glasses With July Launch

Wednesday May 13, 2026 12:51 pm PDT by
Samsung is planning a Galaxy Unpacked event for July, and the company plans to introduce new foldable smartphones and AI "Galaxy Glasses," according to Seoul Economic Daily. Samsung's event will take place on July 22, so it will debut new Galaxy Z Fold8 and Z Flip8 foldable smartphones just weeks ahead of when Apple's first foldable iPhone is introduced, plus it will beat Apple to AI...
samsung galaxy s26

Samsung Overtakes Apple for Top Smartphone Customer Satisfaction

Wednesday May 20, 2026 8:45 am PDT by
Samsung has edged past Apple for the top spot in customer satisfaction for cell phones, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index's 2026 Telecommunications, Cell Phone, and Smartwatch Study, published this week. Samsung scores 81 in the ACSI's cell phone rankings while Apple posts 80, breaking last year's tie between the two companies for satisfaction leadership. The overall cell ...
ipad blue

It's a Bad Time to Buy the Low-Cost iPad

Thursday May 14, 2026 2:12 pm PDT by
Apple's iPad that's just an iPad with no Air or Pro attached is its most appealing tablet because of the affordable starting $349 price tag, but if you've been thinking about buying one, you should wait. Apple refreshed the iPad in March 2025, so it's over a year old. That's reason enough not to buy when there's a new model on the horizon, but this year, there's even more to lose by...

Top Rated Comments

181 months ago
Before the iPad, tablets sucked.
After the iPad, everyone well... er... copied the iPad.

Score: 174 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fabian9 Avatar
181 months ago
Ridiculous.
Score: 61 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Peace Avatar
181 months ago
Is this judge actually serious ?

Why not have Apple hire someone to walk around in front of Apple Stores with a sign that says the same thing. That's just as stupid as this "ruling"
Score: 61 Votes (Like | Disagree)
57004 Avatar
181 months ago
Lol I bet Apple will include that 'not as cool as iPad' somewhere in their mandatory notice..

And they can legally prove it's true... I don't see why they wouldn't want to point that out :)
Score: 61 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KnightWRX Avatar
181 months ago
Is this judge actually serious ?

Why not have Apple hire someone to walk around in front of Apple Stores with a sign that says the same thing. That's just as stupid as this "ruling"

Apple maybe should have toned down the media bashing and libel against Samsung if they didn't want to have to do this. You know, wait until a court has decided something before you go make claims of "blatant copying". Look how much it's been picked up by people, now Apple have to undo the damage and injury they caused with their unfounded accusations.
Score: 49 Votes (Like | Disagree)
181 months ago
Good for the judge. There has to be consequences to keep things transparent and grounded.
Score: 48 Votes (Like | Disagree)