Apple, HTC forge global settlement on patent lawsuits
updated 11:50 pm EST, Sat November 10, 2012
Parties sign 10-year licensing deal
Apple and HTC have reached a settlement that should see the worldwide dismissal of all patent lawsuits between the two sides, according to an announcement on Apple's website. "We are glad to have reached a settlement with HTC. We will continue to stay laser focused on product innovation," reads a statement from Apple CEO Tim Cook. HTC's CEO, Peter Chou, is quoted as saying that "HTC is pleased to have resolved its dispute with Apple, so HTC can focus on innovation instead of litigation.”
The terms of the deal include a 10-year licensing agreement covering present and future patents from both businesses. Other details, such as any money involved, are so far being kept quiet.
The two companies have been fighting for some time over their patents, and the settlement is somewhat sudden. As recently as August HTC claimed it had no intention of settling with Apple; in September the two parties confirmed that they'd had settlement talks, but stated in a court filing that no progress had been reached. Apple has shown a willingness to push patent cases to trial, specifically in a lawsuit against Samsung that reaped a $1.05 billion judgment.
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The core of the agreements was that HTC would start to shy away from using the Android OS on their phones. Expect to see HTC move completely to Windows 8 phones going forward.