Apple ordered to publish Samsung apology in UK

A UK court has ordered Apple to publicly admit key rival Samsung did not copy the iPad tablet in its own designs.

Under the order from UK High Court Judge Colin Birrs, Apple would be forced to publish details of its key loss in a patent battle against the South Korean manufacturer earlier this month on its website, Bloomberg reported.

Apple must also take out and pay for notices published in the Financial Times, the Daily Mail, as well as The Guardian's mobile magazine and T3.

The order from Birrs, who earlier this month ruled Samsung's tablets were unlikely to be confused with iPads because they were not as cool, was seen as a way of restoring the balance for the Korean company, whose victory against Apple was hollowed out by his choice of words.

Apple's lawyer in the patent case, Richard Hacon, protested that the order meant the California-based company would have to publish an advertisement for Samsung.

"No company likes to refer to a rival on its website," Hacon says.

Samsung said that "should Apple continue to make excessive legal claims based on such generic designs, innovation in the industry could be harmed and consumer choice unduly limited".

Lawyers for the Korean company had complained at the court hearing that statements made by Apple that Samsung had copied designs "caused real commercial harm".

Apple indicated that it would appeal Birss's initial decision.