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ChazUK

macrumors 603
Feb 3, 2008
5,393
25
Essex (UK)

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samcraig

macrumors P6
Jun 22, 2009
16,779
41,982
USA
I think this puts to rest the idea it wouldn't take 2 weeks.
And I believe this actually conforms to the courts order.

This changes EVERYTHING.

The new statement is magical.

No one has ever made this statement before.

The new statement is much thinner than the original statement.

It's the thinnest website apology Apple has made. Ever.
 

reefoid

macrumors regular
Aug 5, 2011
136
77
UK
I think this puts to rest the idea it wouldn't take 2 weeks.
And I believe this actually conforms to the courts order.

This changes EVERYTHING.

The new statement is magical.

No one has ever made this statement before.

The new statement is much thinner than the original statement.

It's the thinnest website apology Apple has made. Ever.

And boy, have they patented it!!!

:D
 

samcraig

macrumors P6
Jun 22, 2009
16,779
41,982
USA
And boy, have they patented it!!!

:D

Indeed! And they were the FIRST to ever issue this apology. I hope everyone commits this to memory in case Samsung, Google or anyone else copy and make the same apology.

This apology is also snappier.
 

G4DP

macrumors 65816
Mar 28, 2007
1,451
3
Just think how much simpler it would have been, if they had just done this in the first place.

A sensible mature approach. Now a line can be drawn under it and everyone can move on.
 

tabshift

macrumors newbie
Feb 20, 2009
2
0
Kulim Malaysia
lesson learned

Moral of the story: if you want to copy someone IP work, don't copy it completely...just leave the COOL part...you won't be sued...just highlight this case to your lawyer...
 

pcharles

macrumors regular
Feb 5, 2003
180
2
Michigan's Upper Peninsula
If I was Apple, I would close the UK web and retail stores. The amount of jobs lost would piss off a lot of people and the government.

Clearly you know nothing about the British Government.

Back in the 70's, Ford Motor Company threatened to pull all manufacturing out of the UK if it was forced to to implement equal pay for women.

The British minister involved just said "I'll have to take that chance." Ford implemented equal pay, continued to manufacture, and within a few years, the rest of the world was forced to follow suit.
 

muckydoggy1

macrumors newbie
Jan 13, 2008
28
0
Well...

Apple employees were also ordered to write on the board 100 times:

"I will not poke fun at Samsung."


Good lord, what kind of legal system do they have over there?

Well actually, the British legal system forms the basis of 2/3 of the world's legal systems. So if you're content in ridiculing your own legal system as well as the UK's then you're ok. Otherwise, maybe you should let go of your apple/nationalistic bias for a moment to just be thankful they were as lenient on apple as they have been.
Personally Apple's sucky attempt at satire requires its own court ruling because it was really quite embarrassing to read.
 

2IS

macrumors 68030
Jan 9, 2011
2,938
433
This the part that irks me. It seem lost on the judge that the public could misinterpret this as admission of "wrongdoing" on part of Apple. I'm surprised Apple's lawyers didn't bring this up.

Well, it too late now unless they appeal again. But given that Apple didn't appeal immediately probably means they aren't interested in doing so.

Let me make sure I'm understanding this correctly... You think there's a group of people out there who had their hearts set on a particular Apple device, they buy a news paper, turn to this page, reads the article, and decided against their Apple product purchase?

A) that's not going to happen
B) Apple has done a whole lot more to hurt Samsung's reputation than the other way around, and this was brought on by themselves anyway. So it's ok for Apple to do it but not ok for them to face the consequences of their actions?

Apple fans on this forum get sillier and sillier.
 

walie

macrumors 6502a
Nov 15, 2010
676
2
Looks like apple purposely reformatted their home page so that the statement wouldn't be seen without scrolling down.


Then sliminess just doesn't stop with these people
 

iphoneclassic

macrumors 6502
Oct 12, 2011
375
7
USA
If I was Apple, I would close the UK web and retail stores. The amount of jobs lost would piss off a lot of people and the government.

Hope, you are aware Apple iOS sales in US is only 30%.

Apple lost in Japan. It was a wash in Korea. Lost in UK. Won in Germany.

If Apple closes shop in every country where it lost, it would loose close to 50% of its total sales.

BTW, do you think this Judge is unreasonable than Clearwater,FL jury or "Light Bulb" Jury Foreman.

Keep in mind Judge Koh still haven't awarded 1 Billion to Apple. She may completely void the trail and start a new one, or Judge Koh could ask Samsung just to apologize!!!

One of the patents Apple won is invalidated and being reviewed now.

I love Apple, but there seems to be no end to their missteps. Which really bothers me.
 

DeathChill

macrumors 68000
Jul 15, 2005
1,663
90
I think this puts to rest the idea it wouldn't take 2 weeks.
And I believe this actually conforms to the courts order.

This changes EVERYTHING.

The new statement is magical.

No one has ever made this statement before.

The new statement is much thinner than the original statement.

It's the thinnest website apology Apple has made. Ever.

I can't deny it. I laughed out loud at this.
 

ChazUK

macrumors 603
Feb 3, 2008
5,393
25
Essex (UK)
Way to go Apple ... keep it up ... I wouldn't either publicly apologize to Samsung or any other competitor ... I would pay a fine or so ... but not publicy in writing apologize ... EVER!

Scroll to the bottom of http://www.apple.com/uk/

On 25 October 2012, Apple Inc. published a statement on its UK website in relation to Samsung's Galaxy tablet computers. That statement was inaccurate and did not comply with the order of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales. The correct statement is at Samsung/Apple UK judgement.

Sorry to disappoint you. ;)
 

SprSynJn

Guest
Sep 15, 2011
362
1
Japan
Maybe it's just me, but I think the call for them to put up an apology is more ludicrous than the apology itself. Still, what they posted was immature and unprofessional. Shame on them.
 

kdarling

macrumors P6
This the part that irks me. It seem lost on the judge that the public could misinterpret this as admission of "wrongdoing" on part of Apple. I'm surprised Apple's lawyers didn't bring this up.

If you're going to be irked, aim at Apple's lawyers. They basically admitted wrongdoing by claiming as one defense: that they had stopped making false assertions.

The problem was, they had not stopped. So the overwhelming factor for the ad order was that Apple was doing harm to Samsung's sales by continuing to try to make it sound like Samsung had infringed:

"Is there a sufficient reason in this case to use the court's injunctive power to compel the rights holder to put a statement on its home page and to pay for an advertisement in the newspapers? It seems to me that an important element in this case is the evidence that I have been shown (...) of specific commercial harm caused to Samsung as a result of Apple 's assertions."

- Judge Birss

Apple's lawyers also objected on the grounds that such ads constituted free advertising for Samsung:

"As to the third point, the prejudice to Apple , I must say I seriously doubt there will be any real diversion of sales but I cannot rule it out and that would be potentially prejudicial to Apple .

"However, it seems to me here that the fact of Apple 's statements after trial and the fact of the harm caused by similar assertions to Samsung in the past is a matter which balances that prejudice. I recognise that these are two different prejudices to Samsung and to Apple and in many ways they are not comparable, but it seems to me nevertheless to some extent that one does cancel and balance against the other."

- Judge Birss

The judge was very concerned about freedom of speech issues, btw. He didn't want to gag Apple. But again, the damage that Apple was doing to Samsung using false assertions overcame that. (Apple could've said many things, but they chose to go with the least factual, and that's why they kept getting dinged.)

Maybe it's just me, but I think the call for them to put up an apology is more ludicrous than the apology itself. Still, what they posted was immature and unprofessional. Shame on them.

Apple wasn't originally ordered to put up an apology. They were ordered simply to post the results of the trial.

Instead of just posting the results, Apple continued to make even more false assertions and intimations (that Samsung had been found guilty of infringing on the iPad design -- they had not), and that's what they apologized for.
 
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kdarling

macrumors P6
Synopsis of events so far...

Here's the timeline:

1) High Court rules that Samsung did not infringe Apple's generic design registration for a display device.

Apple spokesman Alan Hely comments, "It’s no coincidence that Samsung’s latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad. This kind of blatant copying is wrong and, as we’ve said many times before, we need to protect Apple’s intellectual property.

2) Samsung asks for an injunction restraining Apple from telling anyone that importing, stocking, selling, or using Samsung devices was an infringement. Judge denies a gag injunction on the grounds of freedom of speech. He says that judgements can be publicly disagreed with.

Samsung also asks that Apple be ordered to disseminate the judgement. Judge orders Apple to post the judgement outcome, partly because of Hely's statement.

Apple appeals and loses.

3) Apple posts the judgement, plus some quotes from it (which was okay), but also adds false comments that Samsung had been found guilty of copying the iPad in other countries.

Apple is ordered to adjust their website. Apple does so and adds an apology for posting "inaccurate" information. However, Apple reportedly uses custom Javascript code on the UK site, to hide the apology when the page first comes up.

?? Will Apple be ordered to adjust the location of that apology ??
 
Last edited:

aerok

macrumors 65816
Oct 29, 2011
1,491
139
Here's the timeline:

1) High Court rules that Samsung did not infringe Apple's generic design registration for a display device.

Apple spokesman Alan Hely comments, "It’s no coincidence that Samsung’s latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad. This kind of blatant copying is wrong and, as we’ve said many times before, we need to protect Apple’s intellectual property.”

2) Samsung asks for an injunction restraining Apple from telling anyone that importing, stocking, selling, or using Samsung devices was an infringement. Judge denies a gag injunction on the grounds of freedom of speech. He says that judgements can be publicly disagreed with.

Samsung also asks that Apple be ordered to disseminate the judgement. Judge orders Apple to post the judgement outcome, partly because of Hely's statement.

Apple appeals and loses.

3) Apple posts the judgement, plus some quotes from it (which was okay), but also adds false comments that Samsung had been found guilty of copying the iPad in other countries.

Apple is ordered to adjust their website. Apple does so and adds an apology for posting "inaccurate" information. However, Apple reportedly uses custom Javascript code on the UK site, to hide the apology when the page first comes up.

?? Will Apple be ordered to adjust the location of that apology ??

Kdarling, once again again you amaze me with your ability to make everything so clear for those that cannot read properly. :)
 

kdarling

macrumors P6
Kdarling, once again again you amaze me with your ability to make everything so clear for those that cannot read properly. :)

Many thanks!

My prediction: Apple will claim that they were "too rushed" to do a good job on the apology, and that's why it "accidentally" showed up below the welcome image.

(Apple's claim of needing "two weeks" probably came from the very popular corporate programmer's stock reply to how long it'll take to change anything. Saying "two weeks" is an inside joke in most companies.)
 

aerok

macrumors 65816
Oct 29, 2011
1,491
139
Many thanks!

My prediction: Apple will claim that they were "too rushed" to do a good job on the apology, and that's why it "accidentally" showed up below the welcome image.

(Apple's claim of needing "two weeks" probably came from the very popular corporate programmer's stock reply to how long it'll take to change anything. Saying "two weeks" is an inside joke in most companies.)

Same in my office, we use two weeks to indicate how bad our HR is here :D

Too bad the ''accidentally'' showing up won't hold because as of now, many websites have discovered the code Apple used to hide it. So childish.
 
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