Apple-HTC Patent Agreement reveals Bad News for Samsung
A redacted version of the patent licensing agreement between Apple and HTC was released by Samsung ahead of today’s scheduled courtroom hearing between Apple and Samsung.
The two companies will present arguments to U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose concerning the $1.05 billion verdict levied against Samsung earlier this year. Samsung had hoped details of the Apple-HTC licensing agreement, which was struck in November, would help its case with Apple. It does not. Specifically, Samsung believed that if the Apple-HTC agreement included Apple’s design and user experience patents, then Samsung could escape some of the damages from the guilty verdict. Instead, the licensing agreement covers technical and engineering patents only, and specifically warns HTC from cloning or copying Apple’s designs and user experience. A number of Samsung’s smartphone would found guilty of infringing on Apple’s design and technical patents. The hearing between Apple and Samsung gets under way later today.
