Apple’s latest battle with Samsung continues to unfold in court. While there’s evidence supporting claims of copied hardware designs, Apple is just as concerned over what it thinks Samsung has been doing with its software. To that end, it’s supplied evidence that supposedly reveals a pattern of Samsung copying Apple icon designs for TouchWiz.
Some of the icons Apple accuses Samsung of ripping off make for more convincing arguments than others. The “settings” icon, for instance, might not be a slam-dunk for infringement. Not only is the design substantially different, but gears (or maybe a wrench) are pretty common graphical indicators for such options.
Apple’s case feels a little stronger in some of its other examples. The call icon matches Apple’s design almost to the last detail, with both the layout and color choices consistent. There are others that do seem to reveal some degree of inspiration, but are a bit less of direct knock-offs.
The contacts icon keeps the silhouette and the graphical indications of binding to remind us that it’s supposed to be a book, but otherwise departs from Apple’s design. There’s a similar situation with Apple’s icon for its Notes app. Samsung also uses a pad for its icons, but plays around with its depiction quite a bit.
It’s hard to say just how strong a case Apple is making here. Do you see clear evidence of copying?
