Samsung Hires Judge Who Forced Public Apology From Apple

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Posted February 28, 2013 at 6:24pm by iClarified

Samsung has hired the U.K. judge who forced Apple to publicly apologize to Samsung after a court ruled that the company didn't copy the iPad, reports FOSSPatents.

The judge who gave the first opinion for the appeals court (as you can see at the start of the published decision) was The Rt. Hon. Professor Sir Robin Jacob. As Wikipedia explains, he "retired from the Court of Appeal in March 2011" to become a professor, but under Section 9 of the Senior Courts Act 1981, ex-judges can still be invited to sit on the bench. On that basis, Sir Robin Jacob handled the Samsung v. Apple case that made headline news around the world because it appeared that Apple filed frivolous lawsuits (which is not true). In a ruling on Apple's first attempt to comply with the publicity order, Sir Robin Jacob even noted a "lack of integrity".

FOSSPatents notes that for someone so concerned with "integrity" is it very strange that after issuing an extreme ruling in favor of Samsung that the judge would then go work for them. "It gives the impression that a judge who deals Samsung's number one rival a huge PR blow, in a way that I found very extreme and unjustified, will be generously rewarded."

What do you think? Was it reasonable that Apple was forced to make a public apology to Samsung after trying to protect its IP in court? Should that judge be then allowed to work as patent expert for Samsung?

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Samsung Hires Judge Who Forced Public Apology From Apple

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Jackobyte - March 1, 2013 at 12:19pm

It depends on whether you think it is right to allow a company to patent a rectangle with curved corners or not... Personally this is ridiculous as there is no other logical shape to make the product. Can you imagine applying for a design patent for the shape of a canvas to paint on. That IP is a total joke and would only ever have been granted in the USA where lawyers are always looking for more ways to make money... the more IP they patent, the more work they get from lawsuits. This stuff however squashes innovation. I am sure Apple should have apologized to Google for copying Notification Centre and Caller Privacy but you know Google are too good for that.

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miskol - March 1, 2013 at 11:13pm

if you are not satisfied lets talk about patents specifically... i'm sure u know that Google is created and is a huge success based on PageRank. did u know that the PageRank patent is regarded as a very powerful software patent and to those others who want to build a search engine is basically wont be able to get past PageRank? it is that powerful because the patent is so broad. have ever apply for patent? i have, and the basic strategy is to apply for as general and as broad a patent could be. Apple did it, so does Google and everyone else. IP is a system, and innovators can only go as much as submitting patent application, if you have a problem you should blame the IP system for accepting it. refer http://www.fosspatents.com/2011/07/googles-new-anti-patent-stance-has-four.html

Zanka - March 1, 2013 at 6:15am

Will Samsung apologize for copying apples passbook app. Sheesh.

aquariusrick - February 28, 2013 at 7:54pm

Yeah, it's pretty much BS having to apologize to the winner in a legal case. In what other legal case does the judge force the losing party to apologize? And then accepting a job offer from the winner is a total conflict of interest. Something stinks.

Alex Bedford - February 28, 2013 at 7:24pm

We need to know the whole story. Journalists only give a piece, and we cannot make an accurate assessment. For Example: Take the McDonald's Coffee Case where a jury awarded a lady millions because hot coffee scalded her legs. Everyone was screaming 'Frivolous' and the lady didn't deserve the money... The jury's award had nothing to do with the lady... In the trial, the jury learned the manager of that McDonalds was subordinate and did not follow rules. McDonalds Corporate and the local health department told the manager repeatedly to remove or fix the machine because it was way too hot. He said "No, my customers like hot coffee". - It was only when the health department red-tagged the door (closed the restaurant) did he get rid of the machine. Then, a few weeks later, a surprise visit by the inspector – the machine was right back in the store. - - The jury was asked ‘why so much money to this lady?’ - The jury said: “It had nothing to do with the lady… We simply took the profit that McDonald’s corporation makes from coffee sales FOR ONE DAY, and awarded it to the lady”. So, when you know the WHOLE story, you understand the case wasn’t ‘frivolous’. Very, very few frivolous lawsuits ever make it to trial. – You sometimes read in the headlines (because it sells papers): “Man sues dry cleaners for $4 million dollars for losing his pants” – What you don’t read is 3 weeks later a judge throws it out – because that doesn’t sell papers!

Abdulghani - February 28, 2013 at 6:43pm

Yes it was right for apple to appologize. How will the market grow if there is no competition? All i hear in news is that apple has sued someone. Instead of suing companies they should concentrate on improving there device. As of now i feel apple is copying samsung. Apple was better when stevejobs was running it.

Me84 - February 28, 2013 at 7:05pm

Apple copying Samsung... Now that is funny. If you want to know what product Samsung is going to release next, just look at what Apple has already released. The last two Samsung products I have heard about are perfect examples. One is an AppleTV clone and the other is a Passbook clone. Don't get me wrong, Samsung makes good products. They don't innovate though. They attempt to improve on products created by others. As far as Apple's lawsuits, you think they should just let others steal from them? Some how I doubt if you had invented something and someone copied it you would just say "Oh, well I'll just have to make my product better". Also, Steve Jobs is the one who decided to sue Samsung, Google, etc so explain to me how Apple was better in this regard. BTW, what exactly has Apple copied from Samsung? You really need to get your facts straight. Start by not believing everything Samsung says (especially in their commercials).

miskol - March 1, 2013 at 2:21am

LOL!! you made my day bro, "Apple is copying Samsung"... so funny!!

John - February 28, 2013 at 6:43pm

I smell a rat. Another case of a government worker abusing their post and profiting later.