Good news for Samsung, as it won a patent victory over Apple (News - Alert), which was suing the South Korean device manufacturer for patent infringement on the grounds that the Samsung Galaxy tablet swiped design inspiration from Apple's popular iPad.

The bad news is that a British judge unofficially ruled that no one would ever confuse the two tablets, since the since Galaxy tab was not nearly as “cool” as the iPad.

Ouch.

“They do not have the same understated and extreme simplicity which is possessed by the Apple design,” said Judge Colin Birss in his ruling. “They are not as cool.”

It's probably the first time the issue of “coolness” has ruled in a patent court. The judge added that the Samsung (News - Alert) tablet is also much thinner than the iPad, with “unusual details on the back.” He gave Apple three weeks to appeal against his decision, according to AFP Newswire.

A Samsung spokeswoman welcomed the judgment and warned its rival against further legal action.

“Should Apple continue to make excessive legal claims in other countries based on such generic designs, innovation in the industry could be harmed and consumer choice unduly limited,” she said.

An Apple spokesman insisted that the Samsung had stolen designs from the company but declined to say whether the firm would be appealing against the ruling.

Said the official: “It's no coincidence that Samsung's latest products look a lot like the iPhone (News - Alert) and iPad, from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging.”

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