Samsung, currently entangled in a prominent lawsuit with fellow electronics manufacturer Apple, has spent quite a considerable portion of this year protesting its innocence, for its Cupertino rival has been accusing it of copying several design and software patents.
While the evidence against the Korean company has been, at times, pretty damning, Samsung has maintained it never once copied Apple’s intellectual property when developing certain products – notably the Galaxy smartphone and tablet devices.
A lot of satirical videos have been pieced together throughout the court cases, purporting to be made by Samsung or Apple, and using actors to represent senior staff of both business for comedic effect. The video we’re about to show you, which is of Samsung introducing its new store in the heart of Sydney, Australia, looks as though it falls under the category of humor, and while it is indeed funny to watch, it’s for all the wrong reasons.
A sea of whiteness, staff bouncing around in blue shirts, products given lots of space instead of being crammed in – it looks uncannily like an Apple Store, doesn’t it?
The Sydney morning Herald, responsible for the clip, certainly seems to think so, and really provided Tyler McGee, Samsung Australia’s VP Telecommunications, the 21 question treatment. McGee noted that the decision to locate the store just a block from Apple’s was a mere coincidence, and the fact its main rival was located within the locale “didn’t even come into the equation.”
He also refuted declares from the interviewer that the design was “similar” to that of an Apple Store, indicating it’s the same design Samsung utilizes across the world.
While Samsung continues to protest its innocence, a move such as this isn’t going to cover the company in glory, and no matter what is happening with regards to the patent issues, there can be bit argument Samsung is wading through dangerous waters by replicating the Apple Retail Store’s look and feel so closely.
As I say, when I first viewed the video, I thought it was another tongue-in-cheek clip to accompany the ongoing court case, so that pretty much sums up my opinion on the Sydney store, but what do you men think?
Has the sequence of events that led to Samsung plotting a store next to Apple’s – while also looking similar – been merely a coincidence? Please do share your thoughts via the usual mediums below.
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