Apple and Samsung patent litigation settlement meeting fails to produce hugs and kisses
In last Monday's the mediation talks in San Francisco, scheduled before the July 30 trial in a San Jose, Calif. federal court, the execs of Samsung and Apple were supposed to sit together and try to reach some sort of a pre-trial agreement.
Apparently those preliminary talks failed to produce the desired settlement agreements, and as usual the problem was money. Both Apple and Samsung seem to be in disagreement what exactly their patents are worth to each other. The discontent stems mainly from the valuation of Samsung's standard patents, which Apple thinks should be licensed much cheaper than what the Koreans are demanding.
Apple's CEO Tim Cook was present at the meetings, say anonymous sources, as well as Samsung's Vice Chairman Choi Gee-sung and the Director of Mobile Shin Jong-Kyun.
These patents often fall under the FRAND "fair and reasonable" licensing procedures, that's why judges are usually reluctant to issue injunctions against them, but Samsung believes it has a much stronger patent portfolio in the areas of 3G, and especially 4G connectivity. Both companies refused to comment, with Samsung saying this is an "ongoing legal matter", but last Monday's talks have allegedly been at least the second try from both companies to reach a patent litigation agreement, after a similar session in May failed to produce any settlements.
source: Reuters
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: