Judge Koh called the quotes irrelevant, and said, “I really don’t think this is a trial about Steve Jobs,” according to Reuters.
Samsung doesn’t get to quote Steve Jobs in patent trial
Apple and Samsung have been fighting in courtrooms around the world over patent infringement complaints for over a year. Both companies claim the other is using mobile device patents without proper licensing, and Apple has also accused Samsung of blatantly copying the iPad’s look and feel.
Samsung is also dealing with two preliminary injunctions Apple won blocking the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet and Galaxy Nexus smartphone in the United States. Samsung managed to win a stay so the Galaxy Nexus can stay on store shelves, but failed to do the same for the Galaxy Tab 10.1.
Outside of the U.S., Samsung fared a little better this week when a U.K. Judge ruled that the Galaxy tablet line looks different enough that it doesn’t steal Apple’s design. He also said, however, that Samsung’s designs aren’t as “cool” as Apple’s which also makes them easier to differentiate from the iPad.
“[Samsung’s tablet designs] do not have the same understated and extreme simplicity which is possessed by the Apple design. They are not as cool,” he said.
As part of his ruling, Judge Colin Birss ordered Apple to post a message on its website stating that Samsung didn’t copy the iPad design. Apple promptly protested the order saying that the Judge would be forcing the company to advertise for a competitor.
Apple and Samsung’s patent infringement trial is scheduled to start on July 30.