Apple, Samsung Headed To Mediation

On May 21 and May 22, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Samsung Vice Chairman Choi Gee-sung will meet in San Francisco, California in the hopes of ending numerous lawsuits between the two companies over intellectual property rights. However, don’t be too surprised if the talks end with no resolution, according to All Things Digital. In talks scheduled to possibly end what many are calling the “100 Years War” of intellectual property battles, the meeting is being used as “a candid evaluation of the parties’ likelihood of prevailing on the claims and defenses.” As you may recall, Apple claims Samsung copied their iPhone and iPad designs. In an initial filing made in the U.S. in April 2011, the Cupertino, California-based company specifically targets Samsung’s “Galaxy S 4G,” “Epic 4G,” and “Nexus S” smart phones, and their “Galaxy Tab” tablet. Since then, the battle has been extended and now includes 50 lawsuits in ten countries. For his part, Cook says he hates litigation and just wishes people would invent their own stuff. As stated at Apple’s last earning call, Cook commented:

“If we could get to some kind of arrangement where we could be assured that’s the case and a fair settlement on the stuff that’s occurred, I would highly prefer to settle versus battle. But the key thing is that it’s very important that Apple not become the developer for the world. We need people to invent their own stuff.”

Assuming Samsung will admit that they’ve ripped off Apple’s iDevice designs, the cases will almost certainly go away. Of course, Samsung now has too much invested in the litigation now to admit defeat. In other words, look for this case to move forward.

Related articles