Samsung takes crucial win over Apple

Samsung Electronics scored a critical win in its battle with Apple over intellectual property and design yet was still left nursing a bruised ego.

In a ruling against Apple, which has been accusing its Korean rival of copying its smartphones and touch-screen tablets, Judge Colin Birss of the British High Court declared that the design of the Samsung Galaxy Tab isn’t cool enough to be confused with an iPad.

Samsung seems relieved by the decision, which came after setbacks in American courts. Last month, a court in San Jose granted Apple’s demand for a temporary injunction against the sale of Samsung’s Galaxy phones and tablets, which will be upheld until a full trial begins on July 30. And the outcome there could irrevocably swing the fate of the fight between the two consumer electronics giants.

Samsung officials welcomed the ruling from Britain, although were unwilling to discuss in length whether Galaxy devices are passing coolness tests.

“A court in Britain produced a different ruling from the court in the U.S. over the same design patents. This means that Apple’s claim is rather ambiguous,” an industry executive said.

“Because Britain shares a community design platform with other countries in Europe over design patents, the ruling there will be a more accurate indicator of the fate of the legal battles in Europe rather than the previous court decisions in the U.S.,” the executive added.

The two companies have been sparring since early last year when Apple filed a lawsuit against Samsung for “slavishly’’ copying the look and feel of its iPhones and iPads in its Galaxy series of mobile Internet devices. Samsung countered by accusing Apple of infringing on its wireless patents and lawsuits between the two companies have been spreading to courts around the world ever since.

Samsung said in a statement Tuesday that Apple’s claims are excessive and could hurt innovation in the industry and limit consumer choice. Apple’s Korean spokesman Steve Park offered his usual no comment.

Apple has been attacking other handset makers, such as HTC, which like Samsung, has been producing smartphones powered by the Google-backed Android mobile operating system, the industry’s best bet at challenging Apple’s consumer smartphone influence.

Samsung and Apple combine for more than a 50 percent share of the global smartphone market, according to U.S. market researcher IDC. <The Korea Times/Kim Yoo-chul>

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