Apple and Samsung scale back global smartphone patent war
Global tech titans Samsung and Apple have agreed a truce to drop all litigation between the two smartphone giants outside the US.
The deal means that legal battles between the two companies, over the rights to the technology used in their rival iPhone and Galaxy smartphones, will end in nine countries, including the UK, Germany and South Korea.
“Apple and Samsung have agreed to drop all litigation between the two companies outside the US. This agreement does not involve any licensing arrangements, and the companies are continuing to pursue the existing cases in US courts,” said Apple and Samsung.
In the US, Samsung is appealing the result of a blockbuster 2012 trial in the US as it seeks to undo $930m (£552.4m) in damages awarded to Apple.
Separately, Apple went to trial against Samsung on a second batch of patents earlier this year and won a $120m verdict in a US court. Apple also has a request pending for a sales ban against newer Samsung phones.
Apple and Samsung together dominate the global smartphone market with a combined market share of 37.1 per cent of devices shipped in the second quarter.
The stand-down is likely to save both firms millions of dollars in legal expense alone and enable Samsung to focus its efforts on its flagging smartphone sales in the face of increasing competition from Chinese smartphone makers.