Apple and Samsung chiefs agree to mediation in US patent fight
APPLE and Samsung Electronics have agreed to attend a mediation session to be held on or before 19 February, as they prepare to clash in court in March over smartphone patents.
Apple chief executive Tim Cook and his Samsung counterpart Oh-Hyun Kwon will attend the session with in-house lawyers only, according to a Wednesday court filing.
Their legal teams had met on 6 January to “discuss settlement opportunities,” the filing read.
Apple and Samsung are embroiled in a legal battle over smartphone patents across several countries that mirrors their global battle for supremacy in the mobile device market.
The technology rivals are facing a March trial date in the US over Apple’s claims that Samsung infringed its patents.
In the last two years, Apple and Samsung have gone to trial twice, and juries have awarded Apple a total of roughly $930m (£564.5m).
Apple said in court documents filed in December that it has paid its leading outside law firm approximately $60m to wage patent litigation against Samsung.