back to article Naughty-step Apple buries court-ordered apology with JavaScript

Apple insisted it would take 14 days to publish a three-sentence declaration on its UK website that Samsung had not ripped off the iPad design. But in the 48 hours Judge Robin Jacob instead gave the Jesus mobe maker, Apple has managed to upload both the statement and a wad of JavaScript code that resizes the homepage's central …

COMMENTS

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  1. Richard Wharram

    Contempt yet?

    Surely now. Surely.

    1. dotdavid
      Unhappy

      Re: Contempt yet?

      I fear this is a little too technical for the MSM, and thus won't be reported anywhere the court is likely to read, and thus won't be noticed.

      That said, Samsung certainly reads The Reg so maybe they'll bring it up in court.

      1. Psyx

        Re: Contempt yet?

        "I fear this is a little too technical for the MSM, and thus won't be reported anywhere the court is likely to read, and thus won't be noticed."

        With a few minutes research, I'm pretty sure that you can find out the name and email addresses of both the judge and Samsung's legal representation, and drop them a wee note.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Contempt yet?

          And this afternoons challenge is to find the judges email address and post him a link to this article, prize is a choccy biscuit.

          1. jonathanb Silver badge

            Re: Contempt yet?

            You don't contact the judge, you contact Samsung's legal team.

            1. Dazed and Confused

              Re: Contempt yet?

              > You don't contact the judge, you contact Samsung's legal team.

              No, you get the El'Reg journalist to ring the judge and ask for there comments.

              then duck

              fast

          2. pɹɐʍoɔ snoɯʎuouɐ
            Coat

            Re: Contempt yet?

            ...or just write to the court !!

            now which pocket did I put that envelope in !!

      2. Alan Brown Silver badge

        Re: Contempt yet?

        Given TheReg stories were quoted in the last hearing, I think the judges will notice.

        1. Tom 13

          Re: Given TheReg stories were quoted in the last hearing

          I think that will just be salt in the wound. I expect the judge has his own people watching because of previous behavior. Judges may be lenient if you're just a child rapist, but if you ignore their direct orders... Let's just say that is some up with which they will not put.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            A bit strong ...

            When it comes to sentencing to statute, Judges can only apply what parliament mandated.

            However, when it comes to contempt of court, Apple would be best advised (and you can bet your bottom dollar they HAVE been advised, only chose to ignore it) that a court of law is a judges fiefdom, and it would behove them to behave nicely, sit up straight, and only speak when spoken to .....

      3. Steve Evans

        @dotdavid - Re: Contempt yet?

        Don't give up hope yet, the El Reg subheading on the original "apology" was actually reported in court last week as an example of how their "apology" was seen by the IT community.

        TBH if I had a silly wig I'd have slapped them down with a contempt on the first "mistake". They should have counted themselves very lucky to have escaped that and played their second move with a bit more respect and care. This second "naughty" is not just showing contempt for the court in legal terms, but taking the piss (not a legal term)!

        It might have been slightly excusable (or explainable) if the link had ended up off the bottom of a static page on some smaller monitors, but to have it dynamically resize to enlarge the ipad mini to force the link off the bottom even on my 1400 pixel high screen just beggars belief!

      4. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Contempt yet?

        Quote: "I fear this is a little too technical for the MSM"

        I spoke to my significant other who is an aspiring Dark Forces initiate (err... sorry - trainee patent attorney) and she said that the judge in question knows his stuff. Based on her expert opinion

        1. He will understand exactly what apple has done.

        2. He will not be amused

        I would not like to be in the place of the Apple legal team on this one

        1. Mark 65

          Re: Contempt yet?

          I like Apple's gear, I confess, but fuck I am sitting here hoping, waiting, and willing the judge to smash the corporate life out of them or give some executive 30 days. Their behaviour is utterly puerile and shows nothing but utter contempt.

    2. Autonomous Cowherd
      WTF?

      Re: Contempt yet?

      This behavior seems similar to that of a bratty child doing everything they can to test the limits of a teacher who they know ultimately cannot do anything to harm them.

      At this point, my interest in the case is no longer about the original ruling.

      In my opinion, they are acting like they feel they are above the law. They are showing clear contempt for the British legal system, (or simply any legal system that doesn't rule in their favor). Up to this point, contempt was a grey area. I don't think its as fuzzy anymore.

      I hope there are repercussions for this!

      1. Arctic fox
        Headmaster

        @Autonomous Cowherd "they are acting like they feel they are above the law."

        Indeed they are - that is obvious. What is also interesting is the fact that you have already been down-voted for what would appear to be indisputable. It appears that some if their supporters agree with this childish defiance that Cupertino are exhibiting. I do not need to mention any names but I think that it is remarkable that some of them actively support defiance of the law by their favourite company but go absolutely bananas on the occasions when A Certain (In)Famous Software Company gets caught playing fast and loose with the law. Sauce, goose, gander and all that.

      2. Tom 13

        Re: they are acting like they feel they are above the law.

        As a crazy right-wing 'Merkin, I wholeheartedly concur and wish you luck.

    3. dogged
      Meh

      Re: Contempt yet?

      "I’m at a loss that a company such as Apple would do this."

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Contempt yet?

        They are doing this because their reason is clouded by blind insane greed!!!

    4. Shagbag

      Re: Contempt yet?

      Possibly.

      If you read the Court Of Appeal decision, at paragraphs 81-84:

      "...[the publicity order] is not to punish the party concerned for its behavoir. Nor is it to make it grovel - simply to lose face. The test is whether there is a need to dispel commercial uncertainty... Apple itself must (having created the confusion) make the position clear: that it acknowledges that the court has decided that these Samsung products do not infringe its registered design. The acknowledgement must come from the horse's mouth. Nothing short of that will be sure to do the job completely."

      Given Apple's continued childish behaviour towards the Court, I can't help but think the Court may decide to put Apple "on the naughty step" and require it to post the notice 'above the fold' so to speak.

      I hope that happens.

      1. Confused Vorlon

        Re: Re: Just another attempt

        Mandated popover?

        Not only would it work, but it would make their web design people cry...

        1. Greg J Preece

          Re: Just another attempt

          Mandated popover?

          Not only would it work, but it would make their web design people cry...

          Fuck yeah! Let's see the judge mandate a GeoCities template, with animated gifs, and the entire apology in a slow-moving, blinking <marguee> tag, with the "click to enter" link right at the end.

          1. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

            Re: Just another attempt

            Let's see the judge mandate a GeoCities template, with animated gifs, and the entire apology in a slow-moving, blinking <marguee> tag, with the "click to enter" link right at the end.

            Flash intro! Flash intro!

            (And it's <marquee>, as in the sign over a theater. Not that it matters particularly; I dare say most of us knew what you meant.)

    5. J. R. Hartley

      Re: Contempt yet?

      Can I just take this chance to say I really, really, really, really despise Apple and can't wait until karma hits them hard. Complete assholes!!

      1. Goldmember

        Re: Contempt yet?

        Apple are absolute proof against the existence of Karma.

        Still, upvote for the sentiment.

    6. Rampant Spaniel

      Re: Contempt yet?

      They really are pushing it. Leaving aside if the ruling originally was right or wrong (and I can see both sides), Apples interpretation of the judgement the first time was a little risky but borderline. At that point I didn't think they were too far off base. Having had the judge rollock them over apology v1 it seems a little unwise to do anything other than exactly what the judge ordered. Taking steps to deliberately move the apology lower and keep it lower on the screen so it is less likely to be seen isn't actually explicity forbidden but after apology v1 I don't think I would personally take the chance myself. I think they are risking seriously pissing off the judge here. The next step is simple for the judge. Their front page consists of only an apology (drafted by the judge) and a link to enter the main site which cannot be clicked for 20 seconds. Perhaps a fine as well. Judges don't like people taking the piss out of their judgements (no matter if the judgement was sound or not, they aren't going to believe their own judgement was unsound) and will dole out progressively harsher punishments in the future.

      Given how much Apple likes to be in court rooms, pissing off judges could be costly in the long run.

    7. jestersbro
      Meh

      Re: Contempt yet?

      It has to be now. Whilst they (Apple) have complied by at least posting the apology, they haven't held to the spirit of the ruling and they have also made a deliberate attempt at obfuscation. Compare/contrast the 2 websites.

      Apple are really pissing a whole load of people off by this behaviour. Wifey has declared that when her MacBook Pro dies she wan't a PC laptop instead simply because she feels that Apple have become so blatantly unethical.

      1. Waspy
        Devil

        Re: Contempt yet?

        Steve made the company in his own image......wasn't there that story about how Steve Jobs sneered about Bill Gates when asked why he doen't do more for charity? I think the quote was something like "Bill is basically unimaginative and has never invented anything, which is why I think he’s more comfortable now in philanthropy than technology". And didn't Saint Steve cancel all of Apple's charitable programs upon his return in '96?

        Despite what Steven Fry might try and tell people, Apple are a nasty and manipulative company created in the same vein as their nasty and manipulative founder. To be honest, Jobs seems like he was borderline psychopathic: Apple thinks it is always right because it is psychopathic!

    8. jestersbro
      Mushroom

      Re: Contempt yet?

      BOREDOM ALERT!

      Been doing a little light lunch time reading and cross refrencing the appeal (http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2012/1339.html) with Judge Birss' judgement (http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Patents/2012/2049.html).

      This may get boring if I go too far but in a nutshell read para 85 and para 88 of the final appeal and para 4 and para 57 of Judge Birss' judgement.

      Please read both and let me know what YOU think should really have happened this weekend and what, if anything, should be done now and if there is in fact any other variation I wasn't aware of.

  2. Piro

    Why don't they just stop playing around..

    The new message is fine. It's clear, factual, doesn't have their useless opinion piece in it.

    But did they REALLY have to play around to hide it?

    That said, initially I had no idea what the fuss was about, as I use noscript, so the page didn't resize.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Why don't they just stop playing around..

      "as I use noscript"

      Ditto - as I do always on sites I don't trust

      1. Dave 126 Silver badge

        Re: Why don't they just stop playing around..

        I'd guess that people who use NoScript are more likely to be already aware of the court's ruling than the population at large.

        Thumbs up for recommending NoScript, though.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Why don't they just stop playing around..

          "Thumbs up for recommending NoScript, though."

          Yeah - seeing people mention it on every article possible never grows old. It's important to realise they're doing to promote their own cleverness in being aware of Web risks (because, you know, everyone else is stupid,) rather than promoting the product itself, though.

          1. MrT

            That's quite a trick piece of code...

            ...considering they wanted 14 days just to alter the visible text of the statement.

            NoScript here too - it's the first thing I install on Firefox, even before setting hte homepage.

  3. Mage Silver badge
    Alert

    Certainly Contemptible

    They are like a naughty Child.

    Will the tell the Judge that the Dog ate it?

  4. Miguel Farah
    Thumb Down

    Stupid, stupid move.

    Apple is complying with the letter of the order in the absolute minimum way it possibly can. Are they trying to provoke the judge, or are they just being so blindsided by their own side that they don't see the consequences for their actions?

    This reminds me of my 9-year-old son. When I order him to do something he doesn't want to, he does it in the sloppiest way possible, earning two or more extra yellings from me and taking much more time complying with it than if he'd done properly whatever he's been commanded to. In the end, his TV privileges have been cut short (unnecessarily) several times, and it's his own damn fault. If he had an allowance, I'd fine him, as well, but it isn't the case (yet).

    Apple, on the other hand, should (IMHO) get heavily fined for this.

    And, perhaps, the judge should order to have their apology written in ugly 90s-style HTML. I bet THAT style dissonance would hurt them even more than being fined.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Stupid, stupid move.

      What I would give for the next set of compliance orders to insist that it blinks in multi-colour like true 90s style HTML....

      1. g e

        Re: Stupid, stupid move.

        With a Samsung logo, right at the top of the page

        1. dajames
          Facepalm

          Re: Stupid, stupid move.

          With a Samsung logo, right at the top of the page

          No, with an Apple logo at the top of the page, and the words "My name is Tim Cook, and I endorse this judgement" at the bottom.

      2. Peter Murphy
        Happy

        Re: Stupid, stupid move.

        I'd go one further - use "blink" and "marquee" for the sentence declaration. Of course, it pisses over Apple's "sense" of aesthetics. Good. They deserve no better.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Stupid, stupid move.

          Errm, aren't they IE-only non HTML attributes?

          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquee_element

          1. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

            Re: Stupid, stupid move.

            "Errm, aren't they IE-only non HTML attributes?"

            Indeedy, but I'm sure that HTML5 that Apple are so keen on, and the overzealous use of JavaScript that they seem to enjoy can replicate the effect of having the judgement scroll past as if in a marquee tab, in blinking 24 point magenta Comic Sans. Maybe the court should also mandate some 'comedy' animated GIFs, maybe of poorly-drawn exploding iPads in 16 colours?

          2. Shakje

            Re: Stupid, stupid move.

            Marquee seems to work on most, blink only on FF (I saw Opera mentioned, but haven't tried it yet).

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Stupid, stupid move.

          I'd like a trailing cursor and night-sky-with-stars background too

        3. Minophis
          Happy

          Re: Stupid, stupid move.

          I'd go even further and get them to do it comic sans

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Stupid, stupid move.

        You mean like this:

        http://wonder-tonic.com/geocitiesizer/content.php?theme=2&music=3&url=www.apple.com/uk

        1. D@v3

          Re: you mean like this

          Nice, it even tried to get me to install a plug in (Quicktime, for the record, which seemed apt)

    2. messele
      Thumb Down

      Re: Stupid, stupid move.

      On the other hand, if you need to YELL at your Son to get anything done is it any wonder he has no respect for you?

      1. Smallbrainfield
        Childcatcher

        Re: Stupid, stupid move.

        Ha ha ha, you clearly don't have any kids.

      2. David Dawson
        Trollface

        Re: Stupid, stupid move.

        On the other hand, if you need to YELL at your Son to get anything done is it any wonder he has no respect for you?

        --

        how did you make that leap?

        is the OP a bad parent now in your opinion?

        Well, guess what, your opinion is based on so little information that it is completely worthless, troll.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Stupid, stupid move.

          "Well, guess what, your opinion is based on so little information that it is completely worthless, troll."

          It's based on the admitted fact that he yells at his 9-year-old child as a matter of course; what further information is required to conclude that he's a bad parent? Oh, perhaps the tone in which he reports it ...

          "EARNING two or more extra yellings from me and taking much more time complying with it than if he'd done properly whatever he's been COMMANDED to" [my caps]

          What is this, 1950? Yelling is not a form of parenting; it's a form of bullying. Amazing that OP got modded down so much - I guess abusing your children in this way is still in vogue. There are a hundred ways to get children to behave that don't involve yelling. Y'all should try reading a book on the subject sometime.

          1. Matt Bryant Silver badge
            FAIL

            Re: Stupid, stupid move.

            "......Y'all should try reading a book on the subject sometime." If I ever mistakenly stray into a hippy commune I might come across one of the books you no doubt approve of. Still wouldn't read it, though.

            1. Ken Hagan Gold badge

              Re: Stupid, stupid move.

              @Matt: Maybe those books *work* on hippy children, at least in the sense of making them grow up into more hippies.

          2. Ken Hagan Gold badge
            Trollface

            Re: Stupid, stupid move.

            "There are a hundred ways to get children to behave that don't involve yelling. Y'all should try reading a book on the subject sometime."

            Nice, but you should have posted under your own name so that you could choose the right icon.

        2. messele
          Holmes

          Re: Stupid, stupid move.

          Oh I'm not entitled to my opinion on the subject then?

          If somebody brings an irrelevant comparison into a debate then I'm doing to damn-well say what I please. Yeah, bad parent will do, the world is full of them. You didn't notice we are slowing heading down the tubes as a species then? (Inevitable "No you are" reply coming soon...)

          Carry on your pointless fantasising about the kind of punishment that should be meted out to Apple. It's pretty laughable given that the (poor, defenceless) company you are all clambering to defend is run by convicted criminals.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            @messele

            Clearly your father had to shout at you too, otherwise you wouldn't of placed such a retarded comment.

        3. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Stupid, stupid move.

          "Well, guess what, your opinion is based on so little information that it is completely worthless, troll."

          The use of "ordered to" and especially "commanded to" sound a bit odd to me, I have to say. And your stated opinion that he's a troll doesn't mean anything either; terms like "troll" and "shill" are so overused here when someone doesn't like what they read that they no longer have any value. Your 25 (count at time of writing,) supporters don't really count either. Accusing someone of trolling always gets upvotes.

          1. DF118
            Trollface

            Re: Stupid, stupid move.

            Accusing someone of trolling always gets upvotes.

            Especially when they're actually trolling

          2. David Dawson

            Re: Stupid, stupid move.

            The use of "ordered to" and especially "commanded to" sound a bit odd to me

            ------

            Heh. That didn't sound odd to me at all, but we've obviously understood different things...

            With my children, I tell them what to do, I'd be happy calling it command, and then i fully expect them to do what I tell them. If they don't, which is infrequently, I coerce them.

            Based of the above description, you will still have no idea what I am like as a parent. How do I coerce? What do I tell them to do? It's too ambiguous, just like the previous statements.

            This is really quite off topic now, but I personally get quite frustrated by the lazy, condescending, assumption that equates discipline with abuse, which is what is being implied above.

            It devalues real abuse, in my opinion (there's the magic o weird, again!).

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: Marquee, blinking,etc.

              You're not trying hard enough. Make them use Flash :)

      3. This post has been deleted by its author

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Stupid, stupid move.

      Do you think Google would be any better? of course not. They're being investigated for monopoly abuse.

      1. Captain Underpants
        Thumb Down

        Re: Stupid, stupid move.

        @AC 12:05

        "Do you think Google would be any better? of course not. They're being investigated for monopoly abuse."

        That may be, but it's irrelevant. The Doctrine of Hypothetical Relative Filth is of no relevance as to whether Apple have behaved in a silly fashion here, but hey - don't let that get in the way of trying to stick up for your favourite fruit-themed multinational technology vendor.

      2. a cynic writes...
        Holmes

        Re: Stupid, stupid move.

        No, I don't think Google would be any better...but that's not exactly relevant is it? If any company ends up a similar position and starts playing silly buggers like this I'll happily put the boot in. Google haven't...yet.

        More to the point, the main criticism is that Apple are being a teensy bit juvenile - has it not occurred to you that the "Google would do it too" defence is as well?

        1. Tom 13

          Re: don't think Google would be any better.

          Concur that it isn't relevant, but I expect Google would do better. They do have the minimalist download rule thingy for their home page. Other than that, yeah, they'd hide it too.

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Stupid, stupid move.

        What you are saying is simply: Because your dog craps on the carpet, mine should too!?

      4. John Bailey
        Facepalm

        Re: Stupid, stupid move.

        "Do you think Google would be any better? of course not. They're being investigated for monopoly abuse."

        Actually.. Yes.

        In the past, when they have been found to be in the wrong, unlike Microsoft with it's epic EU case, or Apple with it's various hissy fits, Google actually obeys the court, and stops doing what ever it was caught doing. And doesn't spend the next few years in endless appeals.

        They are being investigated for anti competitive behaviour.. Key word being "INVESTIGATED". Not have been found guilty.

        Someone made a complaint, the competition commission and others are charged with deciding if there is any merit tot he accusation. And if sufficient misconduct is found.. then they will be taken to task over it. If not, case never brought.

        1. messele
          Mushroom

          Re: Stupid, stupid move.

          Actually that's crap. They were caught with a copy of all that wardriving Wi-Fi information that they slurped from every one of us after they swore that the data had been destroyed.

          That was after lying about "some programmer" putting the software on their wardriving car's computers without it having anything to do with Google as a whole.

          Do you people actually believe that Google are giving you all of this stuff for free and they want nothing in return from you? Oh, they are getting lots in return. Lots and lots and lots and they know more about you than you do. As does anybody they care to share that information with.

      5. f1rest0rm
        Thumb Down

        Re: Stupid, stupid move.

        @AC 12:05

        "Do you think Google would be any better? of course not. They're being investigated for monopoly abuse."

        What have Google got to do with this? It's about Apple taking the piss with a court judgement in a case against Samsung.

        Not to say that Google woul;dn't be just as bad ... and get a proper kicking here as well.

      6. Mr.Mischief
        FAIL

        Re: Stupid, stupid move.

        If we're talking boardgames then is Apple going to be investigated for SORRY! abuse?

    4. Mark 75
      FAIL

      Re: Stupid, stupid move.

      How on earth do you "heavily fine" a company like Apple when they've got billions in the bank? What's a few hundred thousand £ to them?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Stupid, stupid move.

        Given that a contempt of court fine can be unlimited, I really wouldn't mess with them

        1. Bronek Kozicki
          Thumb Up

          Re: Stupid, stupid move.

          "court fine can be unlimited" ouch really ?!

          Hm what's the current UK budget deficit compared to Apple cash balance sheet ....

  5. EddieD

    Oh please...

    It's perfectly simple - they only had 24hours, so made a mistake with the Javascript. It's all the fault of that mean judge who's being so perfectly beastly to us, darling...

    1. Matt Bryant Silver badge
      Joke

      Re: Oh please...

      "..... they only had 24hours, so made a mistake with the Javascript...." I'm actually impressed Apple staff could come up with the idea, write the code and get it working in 24 hours! Oh, hold on a sec - does it still work if you're not holding the monitor properly?

  6. Pen-y-gors

    Extradition?

    If they keep pissing the court around some senior Apple staff will be spending Christmas in Pentonville on Wormwood Scrubs.

    I assume the US will be happy to extradite Tim Cook to the UK?

    1. Crisp

      Re: Extradition?

      Since the crime was committed here. He deserves to stand trial here.

      He might be a bit tricky to arrest though. I suggest that we send the SAS in.

      1. Naughtyhorse

        Re: Extradition? are you mad????

        risking good ol brit blood and treasure in the US????

        doncher know it's the most dangerous country on earth? - just a few thousand of their troops usually manage to wipe out a few dozen of ours and an orphanage or two before the mag is empty, can you _imagine_ what a country infested with 300 million of the buggers, with constitutionaly guaranteed anti tank weapons is like?

        now drones we have :-D

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: I suggest that we send the SAS in.

        Cool. But could you make it a daylight raid and PM me the time?

        I want to video tape it for You Tube and I'd hate to blow the secret by having to setup lights for a night raid.

  7. John Latham

    Come back <blink>, all is forgiven.

    If ever there was a use case for 100px red flashing text on a web page, this is it.

    1. Crisp

      Re: Come back <blink>, all is forgiven.

      No.

      That's the thin end of the wedge. Before you know it, there will be <marquee> tags everywhere, Closely followed by flying toasters and dancing jesuses.

      You have been warned,

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Come back <blink>, all is forgiven.

        "Before you know it, there will be <marquee> tags everywhere, Closely followed by flying toasters and dancing jesuses."

        And embedded MIDI files. Don't forget embedded MIDI files.

        I know I haven't forgotten.

        No matter how I've tried.

  8. SiempreTuna
    Thumb Up

    Shirley that's Contempt of Court

    Again.

    This time the judge HAS to bang some senior Appleite up :)

  9. Gordon 10

    Bit puzzled on this one

    Why go to all that trouble merely to hide it from those browsing at quite hi res anyway. Regardless of the script the lowest section of screen (including normal apple stuff) doesnt show up with vertical resolutions < 1200 anyway.

  10. NinjasFTW
    Devil

    .com redirect changed as well

    The regional redirect so that a UK user going to www.apple.com would be redirected to www.apple.com/uk/ has now also gone so you have to enter the full UK path to get to the 'appology'.

    1. Ragarath
      Megaphone

      Re: .com redirect changed as well

      Yes, you're right, just tried this. To me this is Apple doing everything they can to not comply with the spirit of the law.

      Heavy fines and getting Apple employees (the ones responsible) in the courts is the order IMO. I must note I am not a lawyer and have no idea what the courts are allowed to do but Apple have shown contempt of the courts decision for too long now, and it is not subtle. Something needs to be done.

      Megaphone because it needs to be shouted about. Fed up with Apples practices.

    2. Andy 115

      Regional redirect…

      …was never there to start with though (but nice conspiracy theory)

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Headmaster

    Exactly what the court ordered

    "However, they [appeals court judges] added that the move need not "clutter" Apple's homepage as it would only have to add a link entitled "Samsung/Apple judgement" for a one-month period."

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19989750

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Exactly what the court ordered

      No, not exactly, look at the date of your linked article. That is talking about the initial order where a link was required to point to a separate page explaining the order. That is the page where Apple had their little hissy fit which has caused this whole paragraph they're trying to hide now.

      Had they complied with the initial order they wouldn't be in this position now.

  12. My Alter Ego
    Mushroom

    Definitely not an Apple fan, but ...

    I feel I should point out that the US site appears to be the only one that doesn't do the Javascript resizing - Oz, German, French sites do the resizing too.

    If course, I'm sure it's just a coincidence that Apple decided to roll out this change just now.

    </sarcasm>

    It's also pretty blatant that's it's been done on purpose - create a very tall thin window, and it'll still hide the footer, but still increase the iPad mini advert so that you need to scroll right - that's not ideal UI design.

    Flames - I'm sure I'll be voted down for pointing this out.

  13. messele
    FAIL

    Talk about not getting things right...

    When are rags like The Register going to stop reporting that the judge ordered Apple to apologise?

    He did nothing of the sort, he simply ordered a public declaration of the outcome of the court case.

    1. Martin
      Happy

      Re: Talk about not getting things right...

      Just looking ahead. The judge will sure as hell be demanding that Apple apologise soon.

    2. sabroni Silver badge
      Flame

      Re: rags like The Register

      Burn the heretic!

    3. This post has been deleted by its author

    4. Shagbag
      Thumb Up

      Re: Talk about not getting things right...

      @messele:

      Thanks for the post.

      I have to admit I enjoy reading these "King Canute"-type posts.

      P.S. I haven't down voted you because your post made me giggle.

      1. messele
        Thumb Up

        Re: Talk about not getting things right...

        So long as somebody is entertained Shagbag. I mean it's not like I actually give a crap about stuff like this that doesn't personally affect me but it is amusing to watch the drones go nuts when you shove your head in the hive and blow raspberries at the Queen.

  14. Simon Harris
    Thumb Down

    14 days...

    Now I know why Apple wanted 14 days to put the message up...

    So they had plenty of time to work out the most sneaky way of hiding it!

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Apologies are ugly, so they're trying to hide them so the visitor to the site only gets to see the beautiful Apple designs.

    1. Shagbag

      Thank you for pointing that out. I hadn't realised that this is what was going on. Perhaps you could help me further by letting me know if the Sun is going to set tonight and rise tomorrow?

      You can email me: "pointlessPosts@statingTheMindNumbinglyObvious.com"

  16. Gideon 1

    It would be very embarrassing for Apple if the court ordered that their execs be imprisoned for a month if they ever set foot on British soil, the media worldwide would enjoy that. It's hard to see what else the court could do.

  17. Smallbrainfield
    Windows

    Apple is behaving like the kid who throws a strop at his own birthday party.

    The grown-ups and the other kids are all laughing, which of course only makes it worse. Eventually pigtails get pulled or lemonade is spilled and the birthday boy has to go sit on the stairs.

    Grow up Apple, you seem to have a license to print money and people can't get enough of your tat. There would have been less fuss if you had quietly complied instead of behaving like a bunch of nobheads.

    1. Psyx

      Re: Apple is behaving like the kid who throws a strop at his own birthday party.

      "The grown-ups and the other kids are all laughing"

      Not really. Most people didn't know about about the case, nor the ruling. The local Mac fanatic had to have it pointed out this morning... and then had to have it physically pointed out when they said "It's not here, I can't see anything" because they didn't scroll down... so Apple's obfuscations are actually working, and the typical punter still has no idea that Apple are basically trying to avoid the intent of the judgement.

      1. DiBosco

        Re: Apple is behaving like the kid who throws a strop at his own birthday party.

        It's up to the likes of us, in that case, to do like I did and post links to it on Facebook, mail it to all our Apple fanboi friends etc!

  18. P. Lee
    Big Brother

    Did the judge specify the text's colour?

    White text would seem to be Apple's obvious next move. Not cluttering the home page is one thing, but rolling out a change to specifically make enlarging the browser window stop its normal behaviour?

    Contempt indeed!

  19. David 45

    Extradition

    Extradite Tim Cook!

  20. John70

    The Judge should order Apple to put the apology link at the top of the page so people can see it and the apology should contain Apple's name and logo to authenticate the the apology.

  21. nigel 15
    FAIL

    Determined to keep this in the news?

    apple seem determined to keep this in the headlines and make themselves look childish.

  22. Creslin

    They've also removed automatic redirect from apple.com to apple.com/uk from UK IPs

    Its worse than only having to scroll...

    Apple have also removed the automatic redirect from apple.com to apple.com/uk/; when accessing the site from a british IP address. Up until the new apology the redirect was always in situ - why remove now, if not to show clear disrespect for our courts order?

    This is clearly a tactic to reduce the audience who will see the apology, the audience the court will have correctly assumed would normally view the apology without apples interference.

    1. Steve Todd
      Stop

      Re: They've also removed automatic redirect from apple.com to apple.com/uk from UK IPs

      What auto-redirect? It's not been there for a while, if they ever had one.

      1. messele
        FAIL

        Re: They've also removed automatic redirect from apple.com to apple.com/uk from UK IPs

        No it's never existed. Keep making stuff up people, it REALLY reinforces your point.

        IP addresses have never been detected / redirected nor have cookie redirects existed.

        The only redirect is from apple.co.uk which has only existed a couple of months since they acquired the name.

        But like I say, redirects, apology myths. Keep making it up.

        1. nigel 15

          Re: There never has been a redirect loosers

          there actually has. always been a redirect.

          but fanbois. if you all wish hard enough, maybe there wont have been.

          1. Steve Todd

            Re: There never has been a redirect loosers

            Sorry, that's just not true. I've always had to add an explicit /UK on the URL if I want the UK site, and that's been since ling before this whole Samsung thing.

            1. Dr. Mouse

              Re: There never has been a redirect loosers

              "I've always had to add an explicit /UK on the URL if I want the UK site"

              Just wondering: do you have NoScript or similar installed?

              I'm only asking, because some thing it did exist and some that it didn't, so the most probable answer is different settings.

              I don't know, as I don't use any Apple products and have never visited the Apple website before this court order.

              1. Andy 115

                Re: There never has been a redirect loosers

                "Just wondering: do you have NoScript or similar installed?"

                No.

                UK based and have NEVER been redirected from apple.com to apple.com/uk…

                An as the homepages often show slightly different content (no sniggering at the back re: the current subject matter) it would piss me off a lot if I were redirected from the .com to the regional site…

                Apple.co.uk redirecting? Now that may have happened (never thought to try it before though)

  23. Velv
    Flame

    It'll all end in tears...

    As someone else commented, they are playing the bratty child pushing the boundaries to see what they can get away with".

    Well it will all end in tears.

    Their legal costs will continue to spiral if the Judge needs to recall them to court. And the Judge will simply dictate more specifically how Apple needs to respond - full front page of the UK website with set font size and text, with only one link to "Visit the rest of Apple". Or perhaps even "full front page advert in named newspapers". Or even "prime time TV advert on at least 10 UK mainstream television channels including ITV1 and Channel 4"

    Apple already have the TV adverts slots booked, its just they were planning on showing something else.

    1. Shagbag

      Re: It'll all end in tears...

      Agreed. Apple are imploding.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: It'll all end in tears...

        I'd agree that Apple are imploding. When a tech company spends more on lawyers than on R and D you can be sure that it has lost the plot.

        Having said that, with the cash mountain Apple have this is going to be a long and slow implosion.

        Apple will be the next RIM.

  24. adam payne

    Very sneaky. Apple needs to get a grip.

  25. Solly
    Joke

    Surely this is the correct modus operandi for the reality distortion field?

    "It just works"

  26. Timbo
    Coat

    Seems to me.....

    that Apple only do things that THEY like/want......and Apple will fight against anyone who argues that the Apple way is wrong/incorrect/unlawful etc

    Personally, I think Apple (in it's legal dealings) has just grown too big for it's boots and is seeking to "boss" anyone it chooses, based on it's own interpretation of "events" - maybe it's time some high-flying big-wig Apple employee was held to account for the contempt they have shown (to the UK Court) and incarcerated somewhere under Her Majesty's Pleasure (sponsored by Samsung/iFone/Google/Viewsonic etc) ;)

  27. Gordon Pryra

    When they only pay 2.5% corp tax

    Of course they have contempt for both the British Courts and the British people.

    They must laugh when then offload their crap gear at massive profits yet don't have to pay tax nor do what the courts tell them.

    I would LOVE to know why this is so? Its not like they have a hold over us (the UK) with massive jobs numbers etc. Yeah they are big, but not that big an employer, and if they don't employ thousands, then what's stopping the Govt sorting this out? I can understand them letting Google Starbucks etc get away with it because of the numbers of staff employed, but there aren't that many apple stores.....

    I suggest our politicos should learn to only bend over and take it from a company that this country actually gets some tax from, bring in the new tax avoidance laws and make them pay their fucking way.

    Also put someone in jail over the contempt.

    1. messele
      WTF?

      Re: When they only pay 2.5% corp tax

      So it's OK for Starbucks and Google (in your own words) but not others, who you clearly have it in for as opposed to wanting a fair taxation system for the right reasons.

      How about you put sweaty pen to paper and canvas the Government (you know, those people who set the rules) and perhaps we can kill many birds with one stone.

      1. ChrisC Silver badge
        Thumb Down

        Re: When they only pay 2.5% corp tax

        In Gordon's words, he's saying he understands why HMG would turn a blind eye to the likes of Starbucks, Google et al paying as little business tax as possible, not that he's saying he thinks it's OK...

        And I can see where Gordon is coming from here - if an offshore company employs someone in the UK, that person gets taken out of the jobseekers queue, they get to pay income tax/NI back to HMG, and they have more money in their pocket at the end of the day (compared to someone on jobseekers allowance) to buy things that they then pay VAT on - more money being returned to HMG coffers. So yes, it's understandable that a company who employs a large number of people in the UK (or a smaller, higher paid and thus taxed, number) might be given an easier time by the taxman when questions start to be asked about why all these big companies are paying so little.

    2. Shagbag
      Pint

      Re: When they only pay 2.5% corp tax

      LMAO.

      Cheers for divert the thread momentarily by stating something completely pointless!

  28. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Idle speculation ...

    but since this is the *second* attempt one of the biggest firms in the world has had at complying with a court ruling, is it possible the court might seize the .co.uk domain and institute the changes themselves.

    We can dream.

    On the plus side, it'll be interesting for the little guy in court now. After all, if Apple can't comply, how can they be expected too.

  29. Onid
    Mushroom

    Pathetic strop by apple

    This is unreal...

    I got curious and rotated my screen 90 degrees to get a vertical resolution of 1920 - the ipad kept increasing and pushed down the two keynote links underneath it until the ipad was the only thing fitting in both borders... didn't stop until the window was around 1700 pixels tall!!!

    To me this is blatant contempt of court - Can we send a 'friend of the court' message to the court about this??

    I'm surprised they didn't have the link hovering about as you try to click it !!.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Pathetic strop by apple

      Are you a lawyer?

      1. Onid

        Re: Pathetic strop by apple

        Nope - you don't have to be though I'm not sure you can present yourself as a friend of the court of your own volition, I think it's mostly for when a court needs an independent witness for specific advice on a specialist area...

    2. graeme leggett Silver badge

      Re: Pathetic strop by apple

      Looking at it on a laptop with IE I had to set the zoom level to 50% to see the area of the homepage - by which point the statement text was too small to read.

      It's off screen on my iphone 3G unless I scroll down a bit to make the url and search box disappear.

      Perhaps it can be read on an iphone 5?

  30. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The stupid thing is that the performance of the iPhone 5 apparently really is very good indeed, as is the 3rd gen iPad. But I'm never again going to buy anything from a company that so obviously holds everybody who dares to disagree with it in complete contempt.

    Contrast this with the reported reaction of Bentley to the Chrysler Bentley rip-off: "Nobody who might buy one of our cars would be confused for a moment".

  31. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
    Trollface

    The Theory of Relativity!

    I don't know. From inside the Reality Distortion Field everything looks fine.

  32. Peter Hewitt
    Stop

    JS is on all international homepages

    Actually, loath as I am to defend Apple, it does appear this code is used on all the international homepages

    For example South Africa

    http://www.apple.com/za

    1. Bronek Kozicki
      FAIL

      Re: JS is on all international homepages

      Speaking about international pages of Apple .... seems British court is not the only they hate. Just looked at various national pages including /mx . Mexican was the only one displaying, in largest font readable, iPhone 5. Well, Apple just recently lost court case in Mexico for the right to use name iPhone.

      I think I'd rather not deal with a company displaying such attitude towards courts.

  33. LPF
    Thumb Up

    Well look at it this way...

    All Apple have to do is put up a court judgement...whereas Samsung have to fork over 1 Billion plus interest if they fail in their appeal in the states. Which one do you think they would rather had won ??

    1. DF118
      Go

      Re: Well look at it this way...

      Groklaw and some recent relevant factoids thisaway.

      IANAL, but I get the distinct feeling Samsung finally has Apple on the back foot. Certainly the possibility of the original ruling being upheld on appeal is looking less likely by the day.

  34. TiggerUK
    Trollface

    Anyone else notice...

    that Apple don't even mention the word iPad in their statement and instead refer to it as ' registered design No. 0000181607-0001'

    1. Shagbag

      Re: Anyone else notice...

      Yes, because that's what they were told to say and that's what the Court case was about.

      One of the tragedies is Apple's implicit (and the Media's actual) attribution of the soundbite "It is a cool design" to the iPad.

      If you read Judge Birss's judgement - he wasn't talking AT ALL about the iPad, he was talking entirely about the Registered Design, in particular, the diagrams in Appendix A of the judgement.

      The perversion is, If you look at those diagrams, even the iPad, iPad2 and iPad3 don't conform 100% to the Registered Design. Apple was (counter) suing over the Registered Design which, in law, has nothing to do with their iPad models. Sadly, that didn't stop the media (incl. El Reg) from swallowing the soundbite.

      Judges are not stupid. To be a judge you do, actually, have to be very intelligent and understand the law. I believe Judge Briss QC selected his words very carefully to justify a 'policy decision'. He new the media would lap them up and this would deflect attention away from the decision he was making on the grounds of policy: to grant in favour of Apple would be to grant a patent on a rectangle with rounded corners and thereby set a dangerous precedent that would hinder competition.

  35. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Has anyone checked country redirect?

    Can somebody outside the US and UK check if navigating to apple.com normally redirects them to the local version of the page? Just wondering if they have disabled this for the UK to further hide the link from casual UK users who would not normally swap to their localised version manually.

    1. Stacy
      Thumb Down

      Re: Has anyone checked country redirect?

      Not any more... It used to redirect to the Dutch page from .com though...

    2. Andy 115

      Re: Has anyone checked country redirect?

      Apple.com has (for the past 2.5 years at least) NEVER redirected to apple.com/uk

      HTH

  36. darkith
    FAIL

    Misleading article

    The article is mis-leading. The re-sizing of Apple's main page isn't unique to the UK site....it just doesn't happen on the main apple.com site.

    Other localized sites do it as well:

    www.apple.com/ca/

    www.apple.com/it/

    1. Alan Brown Silver badge

      Re: Misleading article

      And when, exactly, did this resizing start happening?

      It may have been done to try and explain it away as "coincidence" but I doubt the judge will fall for that line.

      1. Dan 55 Silver badge
        Boffin

        Re: Misleading article

        According to Firefox's page into, the JavaScript linked to in the article (this) was modified on the 21/10/2012 21:31:51. A tag to include this script appears on all the regional websites, or at least the five regional websites that I've tried it on (uk, fr, es, it, mx).

        So the original ruling was on the 18th of October, the resize code went up on the international websites on the 21st of October, who knows when the regional homepages were all changed to call the Javascript code, the first apology went up on the UK page on the 25th of October, then finally this change to the UK page was made on the 3rd of November (if not the 3rd then the 4th).

        Maybe they originally put the resize code up to hide the link (1st apology) instead of the paragraph (2nd apology) or maybe they've decided that Merkins don't like huge re-sizing images but everyone else does and it's a just an enormous coincidence.

        By the way, if you go to a regional website you get redirected to www.apple.com/region but if you go to apple.com you don't get redirected anywhere (tested from outside the UK).

  37. dajames
    Big Brother

    On the bright side ...

    If the judges can't find the statement on Apple's site they will probably deem Apple not to have complied with the order -- so Apple's little trick will have backfired.

    Not that I think for a moment that their Lordships are so technically naïve as to fail to see what Apple have done.

    Big Brother, because someone needs to be watching Apple!

  38. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Mr Cook, hello?

    Something tells me the latest pisstake's been approved by yourself, personally, unless you don't know what's going on in your little British establishment. And it's a very, very fine line with your investors, sir. One moment you can do anything, they're blind and will love you regardless, but before you know it - bang! - they all claim they never had your shares, never planned investing, apples, moi?

    p.s. and even if it was a genuine oversight now (ROTFL), you should have made absolutely, 200% sure if wouldn't happen. Did you?

  39. Blitheringeejit
    Holmes

    I hear a distant bell tolling...

    I read recently [citation needed] that last year, for the first time, Apple spent more on patent purchase and litigation than they did on R&D. Eventually people will work out that buying their computers from a firm of solicitors may not give them the best value for money.

    (Note for Americans - a solicitor is a lawyer, not a whore. Err .. hang on a minute...)

    Mind you, I'm not holding my breath - it's a very, very distant bell. There are few consumers more gullible than Apple-istas, and the supply of people with more money than sense appears to be ever-increasing.

    1. Crisp
      Coat

      Re: a solicitor is a lawyer, not a whore

      You've got to admit that there's some overlap there.

      One of them will do disgusting things for you that no one else will. The only real difference is that there are some things that even whores won't do.

  40. Ant Evans
    Joke

    Is this what they mean by 'non-obvious'?

    I'd like to be able to say this is the kind of corporatist legalo-nonsense that comes with the special Fear you get when you get as big as Exxon Mobil, but in fact this display is straight from the Steve Jobs Big Book of Adventures for Boys.

    Non-obvious, indeed.

  41. Nigel Steward

    Apple's behaviour is in my opinion contemptuous if not “in contempt of court”

    I trust & hope that The Rt Hon. Professor Sir Robin Jacob is appraised of this & calls Apple’s solicitors & counsel to appear in front of him with their client’s management to answer what appears to be a prima facie contempt of court.

    NJSS

  42. Afflicted.John
    Meh

    Ho ho he he

    I just tried this on my 19inch 1280*1024 monitor in portrait mode. THAT is a damn big iPad Mini advert and is clearly designed to get you to avoid seeing the statement. But also, the statement itself appears to be much larger with font-size: 14.63px;. They are being cheeky but it is hard to find a fault with it. We know it is morally wrong and they should just accept it and get it over with, but are they really in breach of the court order?

  43. Simon B
    Mushroom

    Just makes me hate Apple even more. Wish they'd grow up, or go under ffs

  44. DannyRyan
    Facepalm

    anyone notice the name of the DIV class

    encasing the Samsung/Apple statement is

    <div class="sosumi">

    Or

    "So Sue Me"

    Reference: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sosumi

    1. diodesign (Written by Reg staff) Silver badge

      Re: anyone notice the name of the DIV class

      Ha! Did not know that was there. But the div surrounds the copyright boilerplate for the page, not the actual Samsung beg.

      C.

      1. JetSetJim

        Re: anyone notice the name of the DIV class

        It also surrounds the same area in the .com. V amusing though.

  45. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Good consistency between judges then

    In one country Samsung did infringe, in another one they did not. With the same device.

    Why would the opinion of a British judge then be worth more, or worth less, that the one from a German one?

    1. messele
      Coat

      Re: Good consistency between judges then

      Irrelevant, both are worth far less than the baying geekosphere.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Good consistency between judges then

      "opinion of a BRITISH judge then be worth more, or worth less, that the one from a German one "

      I've highlighted the important part. ;)

      1. Tim Worstal

        Re: Good consistency between judges then

        Because both courts were sitting as EU courts. Because registered designs are EU not national.

        Thus the first EU court to hear the point is the only EU court to do so (pace appeals etc).

        The German court shouldn't have entertained the case at all: for it was already in a first level EU court, the one in England.

    3. Psyx
      Stop

      Re: Good consistency between judges then

      "Why would the opinion of a British judge then be worth more, or worth less, that the one from a German one?"

      /chuckle.

      First of all it's not a 'British' Judge. He represents the Court of England and Wales, not 'Britain'. Secondly; because he had the authority to make the ruling for the EU and the German judge did not.

    4. Stephen 10

      Re: Good consistency between judges then

      Nice troll, only a question that's been answered about infinity times.

      Read up on forum shopping and come back when you have a nice new shiny clue.

      First judgement is for whole EC - the German court was in error to even try the case and it's verdict is put aside..

    5. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Good consistency between judges then

      "In one country Samsung did infringe, in another one they did not. With the same device.

      Why would the opinion of a British judge then be worth more, or worth less, that the one from a German one?"

      Did you bother to read the judgement?

      Apple started their action in an England & Wales court, as a European Community Court action on patent/design Regulations. Apple subsequently sued for an injunction in Germany on the same issue in an area court, which they should not have done, having started the European Community Court action elsewhere. Therefore the German court was not competent to decide the issue before them, but their decision was negated anyway when Apple withdrew their action in the German court pending Samsung's appeal, and the EWCA Community Court Decision.

      The EWCA Judges helpfully pointed out in their Judgement, that Apple has lost all applications made so far worldwide against Samsung infringing Apple's registered design/patent. in the alleged manner, including in the US court, the Northern District Court of California. (And subsequently in a New York Court.)

    6. Bronek Kozicki

      Re: Good consistency between judges then

      .... all good explanations above aside, the German ruling was also preliminary, which by definition means it was given without proper consideration and binding only until that consideration can be given.

      Which now it has, by the Community Court sitting on this side of the English Channel.

      Well OK I'm sure there are more pieces to this picture, but you missed even the fundamental stuff.

  46. no_RS

    Grow Up Apple

    They are behaving like a stroppy child and I hope the UK court's make an example of out them for such petty behaviour. I think this really shines a light on what Apple are really like.

    Their products maybe very polished and sell well but their attitude stinks.

  47. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Oh well done Apple!

    You've managed to turn a story about which almost no one understood the detail and which would have been forgotten by now into a long running saga of corporate silly buggers.

    Steve may have passed on, but his assholery lingers.

  48. Glostermeteor

    Apple is not being clever they are being incredibly stupid. Every day that this story drags on gives more publicity to Samsung, in fact I bet all the court cases that Apple has brought have only served to increase Samsung's sales. They are better off just playing by the rules, admit they got it wrong, put the notice up as directed and and take it down again and with it all the publicity.

  49. JeffyPooh
    Pint

    Apple's reply will be...

    "You're holding it wrong. Turn your tablet back to the approved Portrait mode."

  50. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    More idle speculation ...

    Legalese, whilst seemingly dense is actually extremely prescriptive - lawyers work very hard to ensure that only one meaning can be construed from their words. I have no doubt the courts original instructions were clear and unambiguous in a legal sense. For those posters here who feel that Apple have complied *technically*, you're missing the point. They have to comply *legally* - do what the judge said. Also bear in mind, Apple have legal counsel, which means that they would be expected to know exactly what the court meant. If this latest episode is deemed not to satisfy the ruling, I would expect the court to have some stern words with Apples barristers. (Personally, if I were Apples law firm, I would be ready to resign. Courts take a very dim view of barristers that assist their client in contempt - as would the law society).

    Apple seem to be revealing their time-warp sensibilities here. It's not the 60s, and "sticking it to the man" never, ever worked. The rest of the world isn't quite as hippy-dippy as California. These courts are deadly serious.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: More idle speculation ...

      Even sadder, Apple now IS The Man.

  51. Tim Worstal

    Sir Robin's not hard to find

    And if he didn't know about this already at least his inbox does now.

    Tee Hee.

  52. MrXavia

    It is poor judgement to do this resize thing... I can undersand it being off my screen on my small laptop screen, but on my desktop? you resize it that much? that is bad...

  53. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Just emailed this to Samsung:

    "Apologies if you already know about this, but It seems that Apple may not be honestly complying with the UK Court judgement against it regarding allegations it made against Samsung: Your lawyers may be interested in this:

    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/11/05/apple_apology_take_2/

    DISCLAIMER, I am a satisfied user of some Samsung products and despise Apple."

  54. DF118

    The Javascript trick is dodgy and runs contrary to the spirit. They probably would've gotten away with it though if they hadn't killed the regional redirect. Doing that means their "UK homepage" is, to all intents and purposes, no longer their UK homepage.

    I say contempt.

    1. Andy 115

      As has been pointed out by others, there has been NO redirect from apple.com to apple.com/uk in any recent time… certainly not with in the last 2-3 years.

      1. DF118
        Meh

        As has been pointed out by others...

        Having been catching up on the rest of the comments it seems mostly to have been pointed out by you. Many times.

        Anyway, if I have my facts wrong there then I'm an idiot and I apologise, but my point still stands. Strangely enough, Google are doing their bit to make sure UK punters land on the "right" place though.

        1. MtK

          Redirect is from http://www.apple.co.uk to http://www.apple.com/uk/?cid=oas-emeia-domains-apple.co.uk.

  55. Charles Smith

    Refuse to apologise...

    ..and get fired! Surely with the maps fiasco Apple would know it is better to apologise properly and let the issue die down. With their demonstrated contempt of the British courts they have guaranteed their reputation will be further damaged. It is about time Tim Cook earned his mega bucks by SMACKING a few heads in his management team to get their attention.

  56. ishaqx
    FAIL

    Crazy as it is ...

    ... I didn't expect anything less from Apple.

  57. adamsharif

    Nothing that a Firebug can't solve...

    Much better! http://tinypic.com/r/2i09hg3/6

  58. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Revenge of the Vulture :)

    With The Reg's crusade against Apple, The Reg is going to get a special invitation from Tim Cook now (and possibly a free pass to all future Apple events and insider news) :))

  59. Anonymous Coward
    Megaphone

    I hope

    That the judge does find them in contempt and jails the web designer and person who ordered this to to on the site. Oh wait, they are probably both in the US so getting an extradition is as likely as Apple inviting Samsung to their Christmas party.

  60. 0100
    Alert

    Not true

    This is NOT necessarily true. The Apple website has been doing this for a while now and even does it on the apple.com/iPhone page.

    See here for evidence that it was working before the second statement was posted by Apple:

    http://needmoredesigns.com/blog/apples-vertically-responsive-website-design/

    And here for the iPhone demo:

    http://www.apple.com/iphone/

    Think abut it, from Marketing it makes perfect sense to have the adverts showing at all time and all resolutions. It shows the lower adverts even on the iPhone so makes perfect sense. It's not to hide a statement.

    1. BorkedAgain

      Re: Not true

      *strokes chin*

      Reckon...

    2. 0100

      Re: Not true

      Also for the Americans, it has the same behaviour on all the other international variations (check out Canada) except the US version, which has a tweaked homepage with a different advert on.

  61. Robert Grant
    Happy

    We demand another Tim Cook apology!

    Poor guy must be realising that all the holes in Apple were only being plugged by Jobs' sheer force of personality.

  62. Lockwood

    New apology spotted

    "Dear Samsung. We're sorry we made a 'cooler' product than you. We're also sorry you're a stinkypoopants."

    Nah. Not childish enough.

  63. Stretch
    Flame

    god they are scum. real bottom-feeding, thieving, malignant-cancer-causing, lying, evil, noxious, vile, heinous, pitious vermin. thankfully they are imploding under the weight of their own profiteering.

  64. davemcwish

    Just seen this story repeated on The Guardian site

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/nov/05/apple-samsung-apology-ipad-galaxy

    1. Psyx
      Thumb Up

      Re: Just seen this story repeated on The Guardian site

      A Guardian article that's not pro-Apple!?!?!?!

      Whatever next?

    2. Simon Harris
      FAIL

      Re: Just seen this story repeated on The Guardian site

      Yes, but they do make the 'sosumi' div blunder, and just looking at the Guardian site, the story takes a bit of finding - it's a sub-story under 'Google sources think maps app might struggle for Apple approval' - not exactly prominent!

  65. Paul Hovnanian Silver badge

    http://s13.postimage.org/609ku0h9j/bart_simpson_apple.gif

  66. MissingSecurity

    I would guess that Samsung's Legal Department has a Hawk's Eye on Apples Web Page. It's a matter of how they can frame this in court. Technically they do show the message; It's clear Apple are doing everything in there power to not let people see it, they question is, did they disobey orders...

    If be one PO'd judge by this, but then again, I don't know the limits of legal systems...

  67. Bronek Kozicki
    Thumb Down

    It's funny.

    Until now I was considering buying some of Apple stuff. They always eventually lost on performance/value ground, but nevertheless they were worth consideration. E.g. Apple mini server - seriously overpriced but still nice.

    I doubt I will even consider buying anything from Apple again, after all this farce. I'm not only looking at /uk page, but also at big iPhone displayed on http://www.apple.com/mx .

    Show to everyone that you are a bully and don't care what others think, and suddenly people lose appetite to make business with you.

  68. Bronek Kozicki

    one more thing

    Since the ruling was that of European Community Court, shouldn't the ruling show up on pages of all European Apple subsidiaries - not just UK?

    It would definitely clear things up for those who thought that German preliminary ruling is still binding. I bet there is fair number in Germany.

    If I were Apple I would be very careful not to test judges patience.

  69. hugh
    Trollface

    Who'd have thought, the reality distortion field

    is written in Javascript.

  70. Alan Welk

    Apple are being very..

    very childish and silly, heads should roll for this embarrassing episode.

  71. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    They could have done it In Flash and got away with a lot less flack. The only people Apple didn't want to see the embarrassing message was their fan base.

  72. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Hahah, the British Legal System IS contemptable!

    Wankers!

    Apple's masterpiece of redirection has taken the sting out of the British Legal System and turned it into a farce. Anyone who had a slight caring is lost in all the smoke and mirrors buggary and has moved on. The only people left caring are those hard core fandroids that have slipped into the dark psychological disorder of objectophiles.

    1. Psyx

      Re: Hahah, the British Legal System IS contemptable!

      "Apple's masterpiece of redirection has taken the sting out of the British Legal System and turned it into a farce."

      Yes, quite: Ever since this story broke, everyone in the office has been going on about how brilliant Apple were to pull this, and how great a company they are.

      /sarcasm

      You might want to take the rose tinted specs off, chap: Even people with iPhones are starting to think Apple are a bunch of wankers.

  73. M Gale

    Odd tablet behaviours?

    Transformer Prime TF201. Default Android browser.

    In landscape mode, the thing scales to hide the ruling link.

    Portrait mode, it tries to scale but fails to hide anything.

    Either way around, the layout is broken and the iPad Mini hides under the lower product images.

    In Chrome? Landscape mode scales, doesn't have a broken layout. In portrait mode.. WOAH, that is one very thin iPad Mini. Again, doesn't stretch enough to hide the judgement link.

    Firefox? Landscape mode OK, scales to hide. Portrait mode, hides part of the iThing under the product images again.

    Aurora, as Firefox.

    Opera Mobile, as Firefox.

    You'd think Apple would have heard of JQuery? Or is there that much of a Not Invented Here culture at that corporation? Is that why they wanted two damned weeks to do what should have taken about two minutes if they weren't dead set on being as dangerously close to contempt of court as possible?

  74. radariba

    Apple's intent is all important...........they intended to dilute the prominence of the court-sanctioned notice........

  75. Lockwood
    Unhappy

    Had a look into this last night.

    Maximum penalty for Contempt of Court seems to be a fine not exceeding £2,500 or up to on month's imprisonmnet or both.

    Now, it's hard to imprison a company and it's hard to pin blame down on an individual: The coder who committed the change? His boss? His boss' boss?

    Therefore the court would probably look at the fine only.

    £2,500.

    Apple may as well plead guilty and pay it out of petty cash.

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

  76. 2Senile

    @Lockwood.

    That is just for "lower" Courts. "Superior" Courts, Crown Court & higher (County Courts as well), can impose a prison term of two years/unlimited fine. Wilfully failing to comply with a court order might earn three months, for example. ..... Perhaps several £?,000 fine per each day the will of the Court is flouted?

    1. Lockwood
      Thumb Up

      That makes sense.

      I thought that it seemed a slightly low penalty for something that stands against the very notion of the court.

  77. bitrig
    WTF?

    Nexus it is then

    No way I'm getting involved with these f idiots!

    Some serious trolls still on Reg I see.

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