WebWereld.nl, a Netherlands tech website, accused Apple Inc. of submitting misleading evidence with the Regional Court of Düsseldorf in a patent infringement case against Samsung. Apple was granted a preliminary injunction that banned the import of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet device into Europe (Samsung will appeal that ruling), but WebWereled.nl said the company submitted flawed evidence to obtain that injunction.
The issue is with side by side photos of the two devices that Apple submitted in its filing. While the court document filed by Apple (and posted to Scribd) includes many and more photos of the two devices, it’s the image below, taken directly from that document, that has caused an uproar in the blogosphere.
Side by Side Comparison of iPad & Galaxy Tab 10.1 as Filed by Apple in German Court
In this image, the two devices are shown side by side and they look quite similar. Whether or not this was the evidence that caused the court to decide that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 violated Apple’s “Community Design” patent isn’t yet known, but many have jumped on it as being evidence faked by Apple to trick the court overseeing the case.
The image below was put together by WebWereld.nl showing Apple’s comparison and what it says are the proper dimensions of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.
The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is narrower than the device presented in Apple’s court filings
Source: WebWereld.nl
If Apple’s images were manipulated, there’s little doubt that it will come up in Samsung’s appeal hearing that will take place on August 25th, at which point we’ll most likely find out the judge’s take on the imagery.