Samsung wins the right to see Apple-HTC deal details

Apple will need to share details of Apple-HTC deals to Samsung as ordered by a US judge

13:09 24 November 2012

Samsung and Apple have several outstanding disputes over patents. That is why, when Apple and HTC signed a 10-year license agreement, Samsung demanded to know the details of the deal that wasn’t made public.

 

Samsung argued that the amount Apple is asking HTC for patent indicates how much value it puts on its technology. Samsung has reportedly won.  The details of the deals however, will only be shown to lawyers and not to the public.

A US judge ordered Apple to furnish Samsung lawyers a full copy of the settlement agreement without delay.

“It is clearly a very smart move from Samsung - because the general feeling is that a lot of its patent disputes with Apple are very likely to be similar to those between HTC and Apple,” Andrew Milroy of consultancy Frost & Sullivan told the BBC.

It is understood that Apple and HTC are willing to comply with the court order.

They’ll provide a version of the license agreement to the court – but according to reports 33 key words will be redacted. These key words are thought to be specific to the amount HTC is paying Apple for the license.