The legal battle between Apple and Samsung has been both ferocious and enduring, with the two companies going at each other’s throats at every available opportunity. The battle may soon come to an end, however, as Samsung and Apple have both agreed to hold a meeting to talk out their differences.
FOSS Patents reports on a joint statement issued by Apple and Samsung:
As directed by the Court, Apple and Samsung are both willing to participate in a Magistrate Judge Settlement Conference with Judge Spero as mediator. At Apple, the chief executive officer and general counsel are the appropriate decision-makers, and they will represent Apple during the upcoming settlement discussions. At Samsung, the chief executive officer and general counsel are also the appropriate decision-makers, and they will represent Samsung during these settlement discussions.
While the negotiations were ordered by U.S. Judge Lucy Koh, it’s worth noting that both companies voluntarily agreed to hold the meeting – an indication that the companies are growing weary of battle, and just want to find a fair compromise.
Even though Apple CEO Tim Cook and Samsung CEO Choi Gee-sung have agreed to met, there’s still no guarantee that they will come to any sort of agreement, and FOSS Patents doubts that the meeting will accomplish anything significant.
The lawsuits began when Apple sued Samsung for “slavishly” imitating their designs. Samsung disagreed and countersued Apple, and the rest, as they say, is history. Hopefully these patent suits are nearing their end, not only for Samsung and Apple’s sake, but also the consumers.
