Apple and Samsung have reportedly resumed negotiations to settle their long standing patent infringement fight. Unnamed sources claiming to have first-hand knowledge of the talks said the companies are working to find an agreement that would bring an end to all of their mutual infringement lawsuits.
Apple, Samsung have reportedly resumed patent infringement settlement talks
"Samsung has recently resumed working-level discussions with Apple and the key issue is how to dismiss all lawsuits," sources told the Korean Times. "Some more time will be needed to fix terms of details such as royalty payments in return for using patents owned by each before reaching a full agreement."
The reported talks are coming after Apple and Samsung's a jury in their latest trial said both sides were infringing on each other's patents. Samsung has said it will appeal the ruling in an effort to convince the court that it hasn't infringed on any of Apple's patents.
The ongoing fight between the two companies has focused on allegations that each side is infringing on the other's mobile device patents. Apple accused Samsung of blatantly copying its iPhone and iPad designs, as well as key elements in the operating system that runs both devices. Samsung claimed Apple's products use its patents without licensing for core functionality.
Settlement talks between the two companies have fallen apart before, although Apple has had some success in ending its infringement fight with Motorola Mobility. The two companies recently reached an agreement to end their legal fight, although they won't be cross-licensing any patents. Terms of the deal weren't revealed, but it does show that Apple can reach what it considers to be reasonable terms with competitors -- or at least with Google's Motorola Mobility.
Assuming the rumored talks between Apple and Samsung are happening, there isn't any guarantee they'll reach a settlement. Assuming they do, it'll more likely be an agreement that brings an end to their legal fights and not a cross-licensing deal, much like the deal Apple reached with Motorola Mobility.