Samsung’s luck is finally starting to turn around. It won a case in the UK when a judge ruled in its favor saying the Galaxy Tab 10.1 doesn’t copy design aspects of Apple’s iPad. The judge had some interesting things to say about Samsung’s tablet however.
Judge Colin Birss said it’s not likely consumers will get the Galaxy tablets and the iPad mixed up because Samsung’s tablets “do not have the same understated and extreme simplicity which is possessed by the Apple design.” He then added that “they are not as cool.” This is coming from a judge, mind you. It’s kind of like giving a kid one of those participation ribbons after the big game — it’s nice, but it’s not so nice.
Birss said the Galaxy tablets are distinguishable from the iPad because they are thinner and have “unusual details” on the back sides.
Samsung didn’t specifically address the judge’s comment on Apple’s cool factor. “Should Apple continue to make excessive legal claims in other countries based on such generic designs, innovation in the industry could be harmed and consumer choice unduly limited,” the company said in a statement. An Apple spokesperson recycled the same comment we’ve seen before. “This kind of blatant copying is wrong and, as we’ve said many times before, we need to protect Apple’s intellectual property.”
While Samsung was able to claim victory in the UK, it hasn’t been so fortunate over here in the United States where a ban is still in place on its flagship tablet, the Galaxy Tab 10.1.