You can't get any more zen than that

In the frenemy battle between Apple and Samsung, the Korean electronics giant is asserting that it did not copy Apple's famed iPhone but, rather, its own handset's beveled design (yeah, I had to look that word up the first time) was inspired by a bowl of water:

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Park, a senior designer at Samsung, gave testimony claiming the design patents for the F700 were applied for in December of 2006, well before the first public announcement of Apple's iPhone. Most important are the designer's statements regarding the handset's design inspiration, which she claims came from a bowl of water and not from any Apple patents.

According to Friday's filing, first reported by CNet, Park's testimony will explain that the F700's design features were borne out of function. The features include "a rectangular housing with four evenly-rounded corners, rounded edges on all four sides, a large, flat clear glass cover over the entire front face without ornamentation, a curved bezel that extends towards the back of the phone, an oblong speaker slot at the top of the front flat face, and a single optical jog button at the bottom of the front face."

Apple filed a motion to exclude Park's testimony as well as any testimony regarding the F700, and has thus far been somewhat successful with a court ruling stating the handset does not constitute prior art. The Court did say, however, that evidence pertaining to the F700 would be "admissible for other purposes, including to rebut an allegation of copying."

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http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/12/08/10/contested_samsung_smartphone_takes_design_cues_from_bowl_of_water_designer_says.html