It seems Apple is getting far more than it bargained for in its failed iPad lawsuit in the UK, having been ordered by a judge there to run statements in both print and on its website clearly stating that Samsung's Galaxy Tab had not copied the company's own tablet. Of course, when Apple ran the apology on its UK website, it was one paragraph of acknowledgement of the judgment, and four paragraphs of reasons why that judgment was stupid, essentially. Which is not what the court order told Apple to do.

So, Samsung brought that up with the judges at the UK appellate court, and they aren't happy. In fact, they're pretty pissed: "I’m at a loss that a company such as Apple would do this ... That is a plain breach of the order." And if there's one legal concept that holds true across all borders, it's that you don't upset the judge. Apple upset the judge.

Now that judge is telling Apple it has 24 hours to remove the notice, and 48 hours to come up with a new one. Apple's lawyers argued that they needed two weeks to comply with the new order because of the "technical difficulties" associated with putting up a corrected statement. What constitutes a "corrected statement?" Getting rid of those four extra paragraphs that make it look like UK courts are silly and have no idea what they're talking about. Yes, fixing that would take two weeks according to Apple's lawyers.

Well, the judge had a response for that, too: "I would like to see the head of Apple make an affidavit setting out the technical difficulties which means Apple can’t put this on their website ... I just can’t believe the instructions you’ve been given. This is Apple. They cannot put something on their website?"

I think, more than anything, this is proof of how fitting the punishment of a public apology (really, acknowledgement of being wrong) is for a company as obsessed with image as Apple. And I can't say I'm not enjoying the rather poetic justice of it all.

via Bloomberg