Apple is currently suing Samsung alleging the South Korean conglomerate has copied the iPad design (oh, don’t forget the ‘Smart Case’). Now, in a bit of a twist Samsung has come up with a clever defense strategy, as outlined by FOSSpatents. The Korean company is claiming Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film, ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, is their inspiration for their iPad-like design of the Galaxy Tab:

Attached hereto as Exhibit D is a true and correct copy of a still image taken from Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film “2001: A Space Odyssey.” In a clip from that film lasting about one minute, two astronauts are eating and at the same time using personal tablet computers. The clip can be downloaded online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ8pQVDyaLo. As with the design claimed by the D’889 Patent, the tablet disclosed in the clip has an overall rectangular shape with a dominant display screen, narrow borders, a predominately flat front surface, a flat back surface (which is evident because the tablets are lying flat on the table’s surface), and a thin form factor.

I don’t know whether to laugh, or think this is an ingenious response on Samsung’s part.

Posted under: iPad News