According to a filing on Monday, Google’s Motorola Mobility subsidiary has reached a licensing deal for its standard-essential patents in Germany with Apple.
In the deal, which chiefly includes cellular standard-essential patents, Apple agreed that it is legally responsible for past damages in connection to the patents. The timeframe for the treaty’s conception is unknown at the moment, with both firms also neglecting to reveal royalty rates in the paperwork. However, the courts in Germany could determine those rates based on FRAND policies.
Under the agreement, Apple is now licensed to use some, if not all, of Motorola’s standard-essential patents in Germany.
Motorola Mobility is a subsidiary of Google, developer of the Android operating system used by most Apple competitors in their mobile devices.
Is this compromise a signal that the carnage over patents is near an end? Will other manufacturers, who have to be shaking in their shorts, decided to meet with Apple and set up licensing deals?
What’s your opinion? Are the patent wars near an end, or will they continue until the last device is left standing? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.
