Apple and Samsung have decided to drop all patent litigation in courts outside of the U.S. The decision ends cases that are open in Australia, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Netherlands, the U.K., France, and Italy.
Disputes over intellectual property related to the iPhone and Samsung phones will continue stateside, and neither party has agreed to a licensing arrangement of any kind.
“Apple and Samsung have agreed to drop all litigation between the two companies outside the United States,” the two companies said in a joint statement. “This agreement does not involve any licensing arrangements, and the companies are continuing to pursue the existing cases in U.S. courts.”
Apple has won twice against Samsung in U.S. court; once for an original sum of nearly $1 billion in 2012 and a second $119 million win earlier this year.
Although the rivals have waged war relentlessly on each other in court for years, there have been recent signs that disputes were starting to fizzle. In June, both companies agreed to settle over a specific case regarding an import ban the U.S. International Trade Commission had placed on older Samsung phones. Apple CEO Tim Cook has met with the CEO of Samsung multiple times, but nothing substantial has yet to come from the talks.
Despite being seen by some as more successful than the iPhone, Samsung’s smartphone sales have been steadily declining in recent quarters. Apple reported record iPhone sales for its last quarter, and the iPhone 6 is expected to be unveiled September 9th.
Apple and Samsung are still in the long process of appeals over a California’s court recent ruling that Samsung infringed on at least one of Apple’s patents and partially infringed on others.
Via: Bloomberg
