Jeez, Apple, this is starting to really look bad. Just a few days after it was revealed that Apple filed misleading evidence claiming that the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10,1 shared the iPad’s physical dimensions in a German court comes word that they’ve done it again in the Netherlands, this time with Samsung’s Galaxy S smartphone.
As part of their global intellectual property battle with Samsung in the mobile and tablet markets, Apple has filed another case against Samsung in the Netherlands, arguing that Samsung’s Galaxy S series of smartphones rip off the design of the iPhone 3G.
The move could see a complete ban on all Galaxy smartphones and tablets in the EU.
As part of Apple’s evidence, though, they have once again manipulated an image of a Samsung product to make it look identically shaped to the iPhone 3G.
In particular, they have adjusted an image of the Samsung Galaxy S to be identical in size to the iPhone 3G… despite the fact that it is actually a much longer phone than the iPhone.
Samsung’s lawyers are pissed, claiming that Apple has been “manipilating visual evidence, making Samsung’s devices appear more similar to Apple’s.”
“It surprises me that for the second time incorrect presentations of a Samsung product emerge in photographic evidence filed in litigation,” said Mark Krul, lawyer and IP law specialist at Dutch firm WiseMen. “This is not appropriate and undermines Apple’s credibility both inside and outside the court room.”
A lot of people, including us, said the first resizing was just a mistake, and maybe the second one is too, but it certainly doesn’t make Apple look any better in front of the courts.
What’s even weirder about this is that according to Apple’s own court filings, they admit that the Galaxy S has some “non-identical elements, such as the slightly larger dimensions.”
Come on. This is a serious case, worth hundreds of millions of dollars. If Apple’s intentions are honest, the least they could do is double check the image resizing work of their paralegals. I refuse to believe no one involved in this case on Apple’s size hasn’t actually held a Galaxy S smartphone in his or her hand: the difference in dimensions is obvious. Get your shit together, Apple.
[image via Webwereld.nl]
