Apple Wins Delay in UK “Samsung Didn’t Copy iPad” Notice

Apple won a temporary reprieve in an order from a UK court that the company must advertise that Samsung didn’t copy Apple’s iPad. A higher court ruled that Apple could postpone those advertisements until October, the first chance Apple will have to appeal the order itself.

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Judge Colin Birss issued a ruling on July 18th ordering Apple to post notices on its site and in UK newspapers stating that Samsung hadn’t copied Apple. This followed an earlier ruling where Judge Birss said Samsung’s devices simply weren’t cool enough to be considered copies of Apple’s iPad.

Judge Birss’s ruling said that Apple had to place notices on all of its European Union websites stating that Samsung hadn’t copied Apple’s iPad, and that Apple had to place ads in The Financial Times, The Daily Mail, The Guardian, Mobile Magazine and T3 magazine. According to AllThingsD, Judge Birss stipulated that Apple’s ad must be in a font size no smaller than Arial 14 and that they must be placed no deeper than page 6 of the designated publications.

Bloomberg reported that in a hearing on the matter, Apple argued that the order would cause “irreparable and disproportionate harm.” Lawyer Anthony Grabiner added that, “If you were on the other side you would be jumping around with joy.”

The court agreed and granted Apple a stay on the order until the company’s appeal of the original verdict is held in October.

“It would not be right to condemn Apple to such a fate before it has had a chance to argue its case,” Judge David Kitchin wrote in his ruling.

Not surprisingly, Samsung characterized Apple’s claim of “mortal harm” as nonsense, and urged the court to allow the order to stand. His urging fell on deaf ears, however, and the action has been moved to October.