Earlier on Saturday, a Redditor posted code from Pastebin showing that Apple had set up their home page to make one subtle adjustment. No matter the density or length of the browser, the Apple statement was obscured and users had to scroll down to see a very small statement with a link to the ruling. Once the link was clicked on, Apple's statement reads as follows:
Samsung / Apple UK judgmentOn 9 July 2012 the High Court of Justice of England and Wales ruled that Samsung Electronic (UK) Limited’s Galaxy Tablet Computers, namely the Galaxy Tab 10.1, Tab 8.9 and Tab 7.7 do not infringe Apple’s Community registered design No. 0000181607-0001. A copy of the full judgment of the High Court is available from www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Patents/2012/1882.html.
That Judgment has effect throughout the European Union and was upheld by the Court of Appeal of England and Wales on 18 October 2012. A copy of the Court of Appeal’s judgment is available from www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2012/1339.html. There is no injunction in respect of the Community registered design in force anywhere in Europe.
- Apple's "Hidden" Announcement
Thanks to this subtle trickery, Apple will maintain that they are in compliance to the British ruling by posting information about the statement on the home page at that larger font and with information or links about the ruling. The Redditor mentioned above found Java coding not previously on the Apple UK page which allows for this hidden admission to only be seen by people who are actively looking for it. The question now will be if the courts will be satisfied or once again insulted by this attempt for Apple to skirt their legal responsibilities to post this information.
I'm predicting, like last week, that this is yet again not the end of this chapter and I'll be posting more information about this case soon. Do you think that the courts will not notice the subtle deception by coders at Apple, or will they be allow for this and effectively close this case?
