I find this very worrying.
If Samsung broke some court rules, fine them for that (though I still find it unethical that they were forced into this farce in the first place, I'd add - and it's unclear why putting their own documents into the public domain is wrong when they aren't court evidence - why should they be censored?). But granting Apple a win has far reaching implications.
I mean seriously, let's do a reality check here - "Samsung broke the rules, therefore let's give Apple a monopoly on rounded rectangles"?!
Firstly it is an immensely disproportionate punishment, considering the billions at stake from losing. It is also a punishment for users, the tens of millions of us who buy Samsung products (more than Apple). I don't want the products I love banned, nor do I want *my* money going to Apple (well, I'm in the UK, but it isn't fair for US Samsung users). And what are the implications for other companies that Apple might demand money from, because they also have rounded rectangular devices?
A fair trial is already impossible for Samsung, due to the endless Apple hype we've had for the last 5 or more years. E.g., last night on the TV[*] I noted that practically *every other advert* was giving a free advert to Apple, whether it was "Get this app on your Iphone/Ipad" or showing the obvious tacky light up Apple logo on a laptop, or mentioning Apple products by brandnames whilst other products are generic (Iphone vs phone, Ipad vs tablet, Mac vs PC or laptop), or obligitary mentions (one insurance advert goes to mention "your Ipod" as an example they'll cover, and then follows that with "your Iphone" - sorry, like most people, I don't have an Iphone). All this, despite Android having the largest smartphone share, over 50%; despite even one Android phone company alone outselling Iphone; despite Iphone never having been number one (it was Symbian before); despite Windows laptops being more common than Ipads; despite the outrage we get if a company dares to only cater for the mere 90% of Windows users, but forgets the 10% of Mac users - but apparently, catering for the 10% of Iphone users only is okay.
There is simply no comparison to criminal trials - it would be as if every other advert on TV was saying "This guy [defendant in a case] is a great guy!", with the near entire media going on about how he's innocent. That would already be contempt. Yet we're meant to believe that whilst that's okay, the jury will be biased instead from one single Samsung document?
[*] Sorry, "on my LG TV" - I need to start speaking like an Apple user.