Now this is something we didn’t expect to see, especially on the weekend. It appears that Apple and HTC have reached an agreement on patents. This new licensing agreement dismisses all current lawsuits between the two companies. Here’s an official statement from Apple and HTC:
TAIPEI, Taiwan and CUPERTINO, California—November 10, 2012—HTC and Apple® have reached a global settlement that includes the dismissal of all current lawsuits and a ten-year license agreement. The license extends to current and future patents held by both parties. The terms of the settlement are confidential.
Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook had this to say:
“We are glad to have reached a settlement with HTC,”
“We will continue to stay laser focused on product innovation.”
And HTC’s CEO Peter Chou said the following regarding the deal:
“HTC is pleased to have resolved its dispute with Apple, so HTC can focus on innovation instead of litigation.”
This news is just starting to roll out and is still breaking. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on the matter. Hopefully we’ll see more of this between other manufacturers soon. Not sure about the rest of you, but I’m tired of seeing all of these patent lawsuits.
Anyone surprised by this? Let us know in the comments.