Well at least somebody took note of Apple’s arrogant habit of ignoring court rulings and the shiny-happy-overpricing company is now to pay for Samsung’s legal expenses in the UK.

Apple could not prove Samsung copied the iPad with its tablet designs but that didn’t stop it from posting a public statement that the court found “false and misleading”. The statement was posted on Apple’s UK site but cited international court rulings that portrayed Samsung’s gear as “uncool” copies. Apple has since removed it but the statement allegedly racked up more than 1 million hits by then.

UK Court of Appeal’s Sir Robin Jacob said the lawyer fees to be awarded against Apple should be on indemnity basis. He pointed out Apple’s conduct “warranted such an order.”

Additionally, Apple is found to have added “false matter” to its statement, carefully implying that comparisons of Apple and Samsung gear were of actual devices rather than patents. “By this statement Apple was fostering the false notion that the case was about the iPad. And that the Samsung product was “not as cool” as the iPad”, the judge said.

The judge accused Apple of comments that caused much confusion, suggesting that the UK court’s decision is not in line with the rest of the world. The judge’s statement further reads:“The reality is that wherever Apple has sued on this registered design or its counterpart, it has ultimately failed. (…) Apple’s additions to the ordered notice clearly muddied the water and the message obviously intended to be conveyed by it”.

More here.