Apple & Samsung Seek Mediation Prior to March Courtroom Battle

It seems that tech giants Apple and Samsung are agreeing to meet in a mediated session prior to their next courtroom confrontation in March to try and resolve the various allegations of patent infringement between them. The news comes by way of a post on Reuters, confirming what was only a rumor a couple weeks ago, and signaling a possible end to their drawn out legal fight.

According to the post, the two companies’ CEOs, Apple’s Tim Cook and Samsung’s Oh-Hyun Kwon, will meet in mid-February with attorneys to figure out a way to put a stop to their never-ending courtroom shenanigans. Apparently their lawyers had met earlier on January 6 to discuss the possibility of such a meeting, and—lo and behold—here we are now, watching these two companies find a way to stop the feuding and the fighting.

The post also notes that so far Apple’s been awarded $930 million in damages by juries because of their allegations against Samsung for patent infringement, while Apple itself has had to put up $60 million to pay its attorneys to deal with the litigation in the first place.

When we first caught wind that the two might figure out a way to settle out of court, there was word that Samsung and Apple would arrange for a licensing deal of some kind, with estimates pointing at something like $30 to Apple for each Samsung device sold—a hefty price, indeed. I have a feeling that the two may come to an accord similar to that, though probably with a smaller amount per device.

I’m hopeful that whatever they decide, they make the details available to the public. Chances are, however, that this won’t happen. Usually settlements of any kind, even after judgments like this, are kept confidential so it’s not clear who’s paying who or for what. Making information like that open would paint one company as more liable than the other, and that ain’t good for business in the long run. Even still, I’m hoping we hear something about what kind of arrangement they make—if they manage to make any kind of arrangement at all.