Apple and Samsung have reportedly resumed settlement negotiations over their ongoing patent-infringement dispute, according to The Korea Times. A source from the Korean Fair Trade Commission (FTC) told the newspaper that the two companies are in "working level discussion" about a potential deal, adding that Apple and Samsung are attempting to narrow differences over royalty payments.

apple_samsung_logos

Samsung still prefers to sign a comprehensive “cross-licensing” deal, allowing the world’s biggest smartphone manufacturer to access all Apple’s design-related, some standard-essential and commercial patents; while Apple is asking Samsung to pay over $30 per device for Samsung’s patent violations, which Samsung thinks is “too much,” said another Samsung official who is familiar with the issue.

The report also states that Samsung Mobile CEO Shin Jong-Kyun may fly to the United States to discuss patent issues with Apple CEO Tim Cook early next year. Last year, Cook met with Samsung CEO Choi Gee-Sung to discuss the subject, however, those talks reportedly failed because Samsung would not accept Apple's demand for patent royalties. Both companies also met face-to-face in Seoul earlier this year, but there was said to be "no indication" of an imminent agreement as the discussions failed to progress.

Apple and Samsung have been in a long, ongoing legal battle that started in 2011, with the first U.S. trial awarding $1 billion to Apple in 2012. However, a judge voided nearly half of that amount in March, with a jury in the damages retrial last month ruling that Samsung is to pay Apple $290 million for willfully violating multiple patents. A second infringement lawsuit between the two companies will also be held on March 31, 2014, with a separate injunction trial centering around Apple's call for a U.S. ban on Samsung products potentially preceding it.

Top Rated Comments

rdlink Avatar
148 months ago
That is until Samsung discontinue the manufacturing of all the Apple devices they make. Samsung holds just as many cards as Apple in this. And if you ask me, the entire thing is hilarious.

Samsung doesn't make any Apple devices, unless you count the ones they've blatantly copied. They make components that go into Apple devices. They make a tremendous amount of money producing and selling those components, and would not stop doing so unless they had to.

And Apple has been diversifying their supplier base, giving fewer contracts to Samsung for manufacturing components.

Finally, Samsung doesn't hold much in the way of legal cards. They are getting their butts kicked in every court these days, including in Korea. That's why they're at the table. Cook doesn't like the litigation, and he'll talk to Samsung all day long if they bring reasonable royalty payment concessions with them.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JaySoul Avatar
148 months ago
S: No, you hang up. :)

A: No, you hang up! :p

S: No, you hang up!! :D

A: NO YOU HANG UP. :mad:
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
0xyMoron Avatar
148 months ago
Anyone who thinks Apple doesn't need Samsung is just wishful thinking. How long has this been going on? How many attempts has Apple made at moving away? Each time coming crawling back to the company that the loyalists say can't innovate. Just give up Apple, unlike the other companies you simply just buy out, Samsung is too big to push around. Just be thankful for all the years of superior quality parts and volume you've been supplied. The quality of these parts are one of the bigger reasons you've enjoyed such a reliable reputation. Don't bite the hand that feeds you.

Really.. So Apple should bite the bullet and let Samsung rip off whatever they desire just because Apple's business relies heavily on Samsung hardware? So what if in the future Apple no longer needs Samsung and sues the hell out of them, who's side would you be on then? Large companies do not handle relationships the way small ones do, they could be having the largest legal battles in court and yet sleep in the same bed together every night, it's all about the money in the end and they both need each other.

Apple already got what it wanted though, Samsung has been marked with the stamp of shame, despite Samsung's superiority when it comes to other products but as far as Smartphone business goes, it's almost a standard now for everyone (or most people) to think that a lot of the features are a rip off and that's one major victory for Apple that will live on for a very long time.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PollyK Avatar
148 months ago
Anyone who thinks Apple doesn't need Samsung is just wishful thinking. How long has this been going on? How many attempts has Apple made at moving away? Each time coming crawling back to the company that the loyalists say can't innovate. Just give up Apple, unlike the other companies you simply just buy out, Samsung is too big to push around. Just be thankful for all the years of superior quality parts and volume you've been supplied. The quality of these parts are one of the bigger reasons you've enjoyed such a reliable reputation. Don't bite the hand that feeds you.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fredaroony Avatar
148 months ago


Oh, and by the way, the AppleInsider article is brilliant.

This is why I know not to take you seriously...

----------

You're correct. That article tried to (and apparently did) fool people by mixing up various stats.

First it said that Samsung high end sales were flat between 2Q and 3Q 2013. Then it bogusly contrasted that to a 26% Apple sales increase between 3Q 2012 and 3Q 2013... a whole year apart instead of just a quarter.

--

What the article cleverly left out was that:

Apple's sales were also flat between 2Q and 3Q 2013. So there was no difference between quarters for both it and Samsung.

The big difference is that year over year between 3Q 2012 and 2013, Samsung's total smartphone sales grew 55%, higher than the industry average 45%. So Samsung had a TWICE as big year-over-year increase as the lower than average Apple's 26% cited in the AI article.

http://venturebeat.com/2013/10/28/smartphone-sales-pass-250m-in-q3-and-samsung-grew-twice-as-fast-as-apple/

Exactly and just like every other article on that terrible site. They can't write or report anything without having a dig at another brand. All articles are so Apple biased they aren't credible.

The forums are littered with psychotics and quite a few racists that go unchecked. I've seen your posts on there and also the typical responses you get. Surprised you haven't been banned for having common sense.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Renzatic Avatar
148 months ago

A hell lot of them??? Geeee! I know it used to do the displays and processors, don't know where you get the rest!

Just the display and SOCs. As if these are nothing more than small, inconsequential bits and pieces of an iPhone.

And there's no used to, Samsung still produces the vast majority of these parts for Apple.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
top stories 2025 04 19

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, CarPlay Bug Fix, and More

Saturday April 19, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
This week saw rumor updates on the iPhone 17 Pro and next-generation Vision Pro, while a minor iOS 18.4.1 update delivered not just security fixes but also a fix for some CarPlay issues. We also looked ahead at what else is in Apple's pipeline for the rest of 2025 and even the 20th-anniversary iPhone coming in 2027, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more! iPhone 17 ...