HTC CEO denies paying Apple $8 per phone
updated 05:50 pm EST, Tue November 20, 2012
Licensing fee claimed by media 'ludicrous,' says Chou
Responding to a media question that HTC must pay Apple between $6 and $8 per Android phone, HTC CEO Peter Chou called the reports "outrageous." The questions came from a lack of details about the HTC and Apple a global patent settlement and 10-year licensing agreement announced earlier this month, ending the pair's legal skirmishes worldwide.
"I think that these estimates are baseless and very, very wrong. It is a outrageous number, but I'm not going to comment anything on a specific number. I believe we have a very, very happy settlement and a good ending," said Chou at a KDDI Corp product launch in Tokyo.
Apple's suit against HTC was one of the first shots fired in the smartphone patent war. As recently as August, HTC claimed it had no intention of settling with Apple. Rumors flew in September that the two parties had been in settlement talks, but a court filing later in the month confirmed that the talks had taken place, but 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 -- even though CEO Tim Cook has repeatedly said that he would prefer to settle most patent matters. Samsung is trying to get access to the terms of this deal with HTC, attempting to discredit testimony presented at the trial.
