U.K. Judge Orders Apple to Publicly Recant Galaxy Copycat Claim

Last week, a U.K. court ruled that Samsung’s Galaxy tablets aren’t “cool” enough to be confused with Apple’s iPad, and certainly don’t infringe upon Cupertino’s design. Now, the same court has ordered Apple to publicly recant its allegations suggesting that they do.

Judge Colin Birss today ordered Apple to post a notice acknowledging his ruling on its Web site and in British newspapers. The notice, which is to state that Samsung did not copy the iPad’s design, must remain on Apple’s Web site for the next six months, and must appear in a number of U.K. papers and magazines.

A humiliating twist of the knife for Apple, which has repeatedly accused Samsung of “slavishly” copying its mobile devices, branding the company “a copyist.” If Birss’s order stands, Apple will be obligated to essentially publish an advertisement for Samsung.

A bitter pill indeed for Cupertino, following its allegations that the Galaxy line “blatantly imitates the appearance of Apple’s products to capitalize on Apple’s success.”

Apple, of course, can appeal. And you can be certain that it will. It has won injunctions against Samsung around the world.

Apple declined comment on Birss’s order. Samsung hasn’t yet replied.