Apple must make new U.K. patent statement

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LONDON, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- British judges say Apple has 48 hours to rewrite a statement on its website relating to its design patent dispute with Samsung.

An Oct. 18 court order in a patent dispute between the American and South Korean hardware giants had said Apple must publish a message making it clear Samsung had not infringed the registered design of Apple's iPad.

Apple did so, but Samsung complained the published statement did not comply with the court order, the BBC reported Thursday.

Samsung told the court the notice posted by Apple was "inaccurate and misleading" because it added comments about other rulings in Germany and the United States in which Apple had prevailed.

"It has created the impression that the U.K. court is out of step with other courts," Samsung said, pointing out the U.K. ruling applies to the entire European Union.

Judges agreed with Samsung and informed Apple the statement must be removed and a new, compliant version must then be posted.

The intention of the statement, they said, was not to make Apple "grovel" but to remove "commercial uncertainty" surrounding Samsung's products.