In a surprise turn of events, Apple and HTC have decided to end all ongoing patent disputes in favor of a 10-year licensing agreement. This is the exact kind of resolution courts around the globe have been hoping for from Apple and in fact, have begged for from Apple and Samsung. While there appears to be no such truce in store for Samsung and Apple, this latest bit of news at least shows hope of Apple scaling back on its patent crusade.
Samsung currently supplies all of Apple’s mobile processors.
Samsung has dealt Apple a nasty blow by increasing the price of its mobile processors — the ones built into every iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch — by 20%. According to a person familiar with negotiations between the two companies, Apple initially disapproved the price hike, but was forced to accept it with no replacement supplier available.
The iPhone 4S loses its crown to the enemy.
The Samsung Galaxy S III, this year’s hottest Android handset, has overtaken the iPhone 4S to become the world’s best-selling smartphone. One in every nine smartphones sold during the third-quarter of 2012 were Galaxy S IIIs, helping Samsung ship an estimated 18 million units during the three-month period.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is Apple’s latest target.
Apple has added the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and the software that powers it, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, to an existing lawsuit against Samsung in California. The Cupertino company told U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul S. Grewel on Tuesday that both are guilty of infringing patents owned by Apple.
Thankfully, it’s been some time since I’ve written about an Apple patent lawsuit, however, that doesn’t mean they’ve magically disappeared. The latest in Apple’s crusade against Google (via Motorola Mobility), leads us to a U.S. District Court in Madison, Wisconsin. Apple was slated to go up against Motorola Mobility with allegations of unfair licensing practices, however, Judge Barbara Crabb has dismissed Apple’s lawsuit with prejudice — meaning the case is over at the trial court level.
