Apple and HTC Settle Patent Dispute, Agree to Ten Year License | Hacker News Reader

Apple and HTC Settle Patent Dispute, Agree to Ten Year License

macrumors.com

42 pointsdgallagher25 comments

The Verge is reporting that:

HTC representative Jeff Gordon tells The Verge that the company "does not expect this license agreement to have any adverse material impact on the financials of the company".

http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/10/3629376/apple-and-htc-set...

> “HTC is pleased to have resolved its dispute with Apple, so HTC can focus on innovation instead of litigation,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC.

Sounds like an attempted burn on Apple, and then...

> “We are glad to have reached a settlement with HTC,” said Tim Cook, CEO of Apple. “We will continue to stay laser focused on product innovation.”

Am I reading into this wrong or is Apple backhanding HTC in this press release?

I don't read that, but what I did read was the CEOs of both Apple and HTC agreeing that without the worry of patent litigation that BOTH of their companies would be capable of innovating instead of fighting.

I think I'll take this as an admission by both Apple and HTC that patents inhibit innovation.

I hope that's the case, but I don't think PR statements in press releases like these have any meaning at all.

$100 million and 2 years later, nothing changed. What a waste of time and money.

This doesn't sound good for Samsung. I assume this validates many of Apple's claims.

The claims don't have to be valid for this to be the right financial move for HTC to make.

why would you think so? the details are not known, and HTC has some 4G patents that it was planning to use against Apple if Apple ever decides to use 4G (iPhone 5). for me this sounds more like a stalemate situation between HTC and Apple.

I didn't mean claims in direct terms of patent claims, but rather this action might force Samsung's hand. I didn't really know about the LTE patents, so yes, I see a stalemate situation.

I wonder if this is related to HTC's licensing agreement with Microsoft for their Android phones?

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/2010/apr10/04-27MS...

Although Samsung has some sort of agreement with Microsoft too.

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/2011/sep11/09-28Sa...

In other Apple IP-related news: They've been ordered to pay Swiss Rail $21 million for that clock design debacle http://phys.org/news/2012-11-apple-swiss-rail-21mn-clock.htm...

you do know that it was settled between Apple and SBB ( which probably included the paying of this money ) and no "ordering" was done by anyone anywhere ?

I did not. Thanks for the clarification. That's still an expensive gaffe. :-/

What gaffe? I'm sure Apple has paid much greater licensing fee's to other companies for their intellectual property. What do you think it cost them to pay for "iPhone" (a cisco trademark?) Or purchasing a license for one-click-payment from amazon? Or any of hundreds of other IP purchases that Apple makes.

I don't know if I would have considered the clock worth $22mm, but I do have to admit, it's beautiful. Before Apple released their clock App, I ended up paying $5.00 for an App that was roughly equivalent in functionality, though nowhere near as gorgeous.

All in All - $22mm was probably seen by Apple as the right price to license one of the worlds most beautiful clock designs.

It was a gaffe because they stole the design and got a license only after being called out publicly by the Swiss. All the while being involved in huge law suits with companies who they claim stole their look and feel. Do as I say, not as I do...

Apple is extraordinarily sophisticated when it comes to IP issues. Any artwork or homages that they've placed in their product are either (A) Cleared for coverage or (B) Have some path to such.

Anything you see in IOS is akin to a song that would hear in a movie or a TV Show - hundreds of hours, if not thousands, have gone into ensuring the legality/coverage of all of the major elements that you see there.

Don't for a second believe that Apple didn't already have a negotiating position, and value, and best-negotiable-alternative (BNA) identified prior to placing that swiss clock into IOS.

This isn't their first, second, or even hundredth time at this particular rodeo.

The games that HTC/Google/Motorola/Apple/Samsung are also, all playing out according to a well known IP strategy. Each of the parties is acquiring IP, establishing their patent positions/strength, going to court where needed, and engaging in settlements likewise.

At the level which these companies play - their is no "Steal", simply a stronger (or weaker) game theoretic negotiating position which plays out...

Anybody how has legal bills in excess of $100 million a year has left the realm of good/bad, and moved into win/lose/profit/loss.

Easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission?

They're sitting on 120 Billion dollars. 22 million is only 0.183% or that. I have a hard time believing they intentionally made such a hypocritical move to save 22 million dollars.

There are something like 400 million iPhones in the world. So that’s 5¢ per. Not trivial, but not exactly breaking Apple’s bank. In return they get a really nice clock design.

It is only found on iPads.

I wonder if the techpress and commenters as well as SBB will seek damages from Marie-Odile del Carlo (http://www.appcode.fr/horlogesuisse.html) whose clock app was released free of charge in March of 2011 or Thomas Feger, who released his app in 2009 and charges 99 cents a pop? Or is it different because they aren't Apple or A.N Other faceless multinational?

Apple's press statement:

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2012/11/11HTC-and-Apple-Sett...

After the recent management reshuffle, could this be a sign of Apple backing away from all the patent crazyness? The article implies the settlement was two-way and not very big.

The relationship between htc and Apple may simply be better than between Samsung and Apple, or Google and Apple.

Apple understands only the logic of MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction).

Not sure what the downvoters tried to show, but above statement is simply self obvious. Patent aggressors (which Apple is) relent only under the threat of defensive patent action. Thus, comparison with MAD is natural and expected. Don't be disillusioned, thinking that Apple is all white and furry. It has teeth, and hides them only when scared that they'll be beaten out.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com