Judge Rules Galaxy Tab “Not Cool” in iPad Patent Infringement Case

Samsung was given a backhanded win in its patent infringement fight with Apple when a UK Judge ruled that the Galaxy tablet line doesn’t infringe on iPad design-related patents, but that’s because Samsung’s products aren’t as cool.

Judge makes it official: Samsung tablets aren't as cool as the iPadJudge makes it official: Samsung tablets aren’t as cool as the iPad

Judge Colin Birss ruled, according to Bloomberg, that Samsung’s tablet designs “do not have the same understated and extreme simplicity which is possessed by the Apple design. They are not as cool.”

That ruling means Samsung will be able to continue selling its Galaxy Tab tablet products in the U.K., although it’s a safe bet it won’t be able to easily shake the notion a court ruled its products aren’t cool.

In its own take on the court ruling Samsung stated, “In a ruling on July 9, 2012, the High Court of England & Wales sided with Samsung that the designs of the Galaxy Tab series of products are ‘different’ from an Apple tablet design, and do not infringe Apple’s Registered Community Design No. 181607-0001.”

Apple responded to PocketLint on the ruling by saying,

It’s no coincidence that Samsung’s latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad, from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging. This kind of blatant copying is wrong and, as we’ve said many times before, we need to protect Apple’s intellectual property when companies steal our ideas.

Apple and Samsung have been fighting in court for more than a year over claims that they are infringing on each other’s mobile device patents. Apple most recently won preliminary injunctions blocking the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet and Galaxy Nexus smartphone in the United States.

Apple has 21 days to appeal the London court’s ruling, although there isn’t much chance that the company will question the part of the ruling declaring the iPad to be the cooler product.