Apple CEO Tim Cook and Samsung CEO Choi Gee-sung are set to start negotiating for a possible settlement in their company’s patent infringement lawsuit battle. The talks came as a court oder from Judge Lucy Koh and will be mediated by Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero.
Apple and Samsung executies are meeting to talk possible patent infringement settlement
The court ordered negotiations follow months of legal wrangling between the two companies over allegations that each side is using mobile-related patents in their tablet and smartphone devices without proper licensing. The lawsuits over patent infringement have spread to several countries around the world.
Judge Spero asked Apple and Samsung to give him “a candid evaluation of the parties’ likelihood of prevailing on the claims and defenses,” and both sides are expected to give him strong evaluations since neither would likely admit that they have weaknesses in their cases.
Just because the companies were pushed into negotiations — and are actually following through — isn’t an indicator that a resolution is coming soon. While the CEOs may make some headway, their lawsuits will likely continue and both sides will have to wait for Judge Koh to make her own ruling at trial.