Apple has published its first “apology” to Samsung in a UK Newspaper after a UK Court of Appeals ordered the tech giant to issue several statements. An appeals judge ordered the company to “apologize” for claiming that Samsung tablet devices were a direct rip-off of Apple technology.
In an original version of an apology letter placed on the Apple website, the company was tongue in cheek with its apology. The original website letter has since been removed and the new letter published in The Guardian is much more straightforward A court ordered that the original online statement was not complying with the original court order filed against Apple. Apple rep Michael Beloff QC told several judges, “It is not designed to make us grovel. The only purpose must be to dispel commercial uncertainty.”
Located at the bottom of page 5, the ad takes up roughly one-eighth of a page, just enough space to show a tiny bit of effort on Apple’s part but not enough to draw a lot of attention from readers.
The ad includes an apology and a web address where users can read the court’s entire judgement online.
The apology is surrounded by actual news and colorful ads which will likely distract many readers for the full context of the apology.
Apple still must place the same or a similar statement in various other publications throughout the UK. At this time, the online apology and single print ad are the only ones to have appeared.
The tech giant has been given 48 hours to issue a better apology on its Apple UK website. The new apology must still link to the original judgement.
