Apple website seems to use JavaScript to hide Samsung apology

1 of 4

Gallery

Posted on 5 Nov 2012 at 10:51, by Chris Finnamore

An eagle-eyed Reddit user has noticed that Apple appears to be using a snippet of JavaScript code to hide the link to its court-ordered apology to Samsung.

Apple was ordered by the UK High Court to publish a statement on the UK version of its website acknowledging that Samsung did not copy its designs. However, when you visit the site, the statement is out of view at the bottom, requiring you to scroll down to see it.

On a 1,920x1,080 monitor, the statement is hidden on the UK site, as is the Copyright info (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

But on the US site, far more is visible (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

This happens no matter how large your monitor's resolution. Whether on a 1,920x1,080 or a 2,560x1,440 screen, the link to the statement is always hidden unless you scroll down, and you can always see exactly the same amount of content - the page always stops just after the images of Apple's latest products.

By contrast, on Apple's US site, which doesn’t have to carry the apology, you can easily see the entire page on a 2,560x1,440 screen, and the amount of visible content varies depending on your monitor's horizontal resolution - as you'd expect.

The same amount is visible on the UK site even on a 2,560x1,440 monitor, but the iPad Mini image is much bigger (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

While on the US site you can see everything without scrolling, and there's a large amount of white space (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

The Reddit user noticed that to achieve this Apple used a JavaScript snippet which automatically resizes the main product image just enough to push the very bottom of the web page out of view, no matter what your display's resolution.

Seeing as this is the second version of the statement Apple has been ordered to post, with the first deemed not to comply with the court order, we can’t see the UK judge being particularly impressed.

Get more reviews, tutorials and in-depth advice, every month with Computer Shopper.
Click here to try 3 issues for £1

< Previous News : General Next >

User comments

Fools

It seems Apple sticks two fingers up to our courts, and to our tax authorities. Does Apple hope for UK customers and taxpayers to hold Apple in any less contempt?

By dalerm on 5 Nov 2012