Judges orders Apple, HTC to cough up settlement details for Samsung’s lawyers
The cross-licensing deal that HTC and Apple are doing their best to keep under wraps will not play a role in the post-trial motions between Apple and Samsung. The maker of the Galaxy line of Android phones requested the details of the agreement shortly after it was brokered, as the company feels the terms could affect the outcome of the $1 billion dollar settlement reached in Apple’s favor last summer.
The details were initially presented to Samsung with several key words blacked out. These key words contained the meat of the agreement, including the exact monetary figures and fees being exchanged by Apple and HTC. Both parties haven’t been keen to reveal the exact arrangement, but US Magistrate Judge Paul S. Grewal is requesting that Apple hand over the document in full.
Samsung’s argument is that Apple has demonstrated through their agreement with HTC that they are willing to license patents for a fee, and with the large payout already going in the Cupertino-based company’s favor additional injunctions should not be granted. Whether or not certain Samsung products are to remained banned from the market is the subject of upcoming hearings to take place next month.
But we can’t expect to get a look at the deal ourselves, as the Judge’s order applies only to this case, and Samsung’s attorneys are not to share any of the information they learn from documents provided by Apple and HTC outside of the case. The next phase of the trial kicks off on December 6th, but until Samsung and Apple reach some sort of agreement of their own, don’t expect the courtroom battles to end any time soon.
[via The Verge]