Samsung and Apple end patent wars outside America - but there are still some things to settle in the US
The Samsung and Apple war has ended outside of America. The two giants have agreed to end all patent lawsuits between each other outside the U.S, including six countries in Europe.
The rivals: Apple and Samsung
For three years the world's two largest smartphone makers have been battling it out across the globe. That's now over.
But according to the San Jose Mercury News, Samsung and Apple will continue to pursue existing cases in U.S. courts. The two companies have not struck any cross-licensing deal, although some observers expect this to happen.
"Samsung and Apple have agreed to drop all litigation between the two companies outside the United States," the South Korean company said in a statement.
"This agreement does not involve any licensing arrangements, and the companies are continuing to pursue the existing cases in U.S. courts."
The Mercury News said the announcement was “a significant lessening of corporate hostilities after years of bitter patent disputes over the intellectual property rights for mobile designs and technology.”
The legal fights spanned about a dozen countries in Asia, North America and Europe.
Lawsuits and other legal actions by Samsung and Apple will come to an end in countries including Germany, Britain, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, South Korea, Japan and Australia.
The patent cases in the US haveproduced bigger damages than other countries. In May, a San Jose jury awarded Apple $119m in a patent battle with Samsung.
The same jury also ordered Apple to pay $158,400 to Samsung finding that Apple had infringed one of Samsung's patents in creating the iPhone 4 and 5.
In a separate 2012 jury verdict, Samsung was ordered to pay Apple $930m, which Samsung appealed.
A number of analysts forecast the two companies would eventually bury the hatchet and sign a cross-licensing deal, following the usual pattern of patent cases in the technology industry.
There were earlier signs that tensions had eased between two companies when the two agreed to drop their appeals at the US International Trade Commission in June.
But at other times, said the Mercury News, it seemed the differences were too wide to be bridged. The chief executives of both companies reportedly met several times at the recommendation of a US judge to discuss out of court settlements.
The lawsuits over some of the world's most popular gadgets began in April 2011 when Apple accused Samsung, the maker of Galaxy phones, of slavishly copying the iPhone. Samsung responded by charging Apple of stealing its mobile technology.
In the years since ,Samsung has vaulted to the leading position in the global smartphone market .
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