Samsung will face Apple again in court after mediation attempts reportedly fail
Samsung and Apple’s long-running patent infringement feud had hopes of reaching a peaceful resolution after reports surfaced of a planned mediation meeting between the companies’ CEOs. According to several Korean outlets, that meeting has already taken place, and let’s just say Apple and Samsung’s legal teams should keep their calendars open for March 31st and beyond.
Samsung co-CEO JK Shin and Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly were not able to reach an agreement during their discussions, which took place in the US last week. The meeting itself was shrouded in secrecy. Many believed it would not occur until closer the February 19th deadline to reach a mediated settlement, but those close to the matter indicate Shin has no plans to travel to the United States before that date.
Last month during pre-trial hearings Samsung was already dealt a small blow in the case when Judge Lucy Koh threw out a counter-infringement claim for multimedia sync and sided with Apple on a keyboard autocomplete patent. The rulings, though not a life-threatening blow to Samsung’s defense, do not bode well for the Korean mobile giant. Koh previously ruled over the 2012 edition of Apple v. Samsung. That one didn’t end so well for good ol’ Sammy.
While both parties have shown a willingness to settle without forcing a long, grueling court case, the likelihood of that happening now seems close to nil. A final pre-trial conference is set for March 5th before the main event kicks off at the end of next month.
[via The Verge]