Samsung has so far not had the best of luck in its many legal battles with Apple. In late June, Samsung got word that a US court put a sales ban on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet thanks to a judge agreeing with Apple that the tablet's design infringes with that of Apple's iPad.
While that sales ban in the US has yet to be lifted (Samsung is appealing the case), a court in the UK seems to have a different viewpoint. News.com reports that the High Court of England and Wales has ruled today that three models of the Galaxy Tab don't infringe on the iPad's design.
The ruling affects the Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 8.9, and Galaxy Tab 7.7 models. In its ruling, the UK court said there were a number of differences between the Tab models and the iPad. Those included the lack of a physical button on the Galaxy Tab units, along with the overall thickness of the products and the designs of the Galaxy Tab's front and rear surfaces.
The ruling does have an interesting comment from Judge Colin Birss. The BBC reports that even though he ruled for Samsung, Judge Birss said of the Galaxy Tab, "They do not have the same understated and extreme simplicity which is possessed by the Apple design. They are not as cool. The overall impression produced is different."
Samsung is also fighting a software patent battle with Apple in the US concerning its Galaxy Nexus smartphone. While the phone was banned for sale for a week earlier this month, that sales ban was lifted on Friday.
Source: News.com | Images via Apple and Samsung
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