Samsung and Apple agree to mediation in February

Samsung and Apple have been in an arms race with one another since 2011, but one round of fighting may come to a close in February — just in time for another round to start in March. Intellectual property disputes between Samsung and Apple span in courts around the world, including in South Korea, Germany, the United States, the Netherlands and Australia, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Mediation attempts have occurred in the past between these enterprises, but the goal of next month's meeting is to get through disputes that are not related to March's court date, which concerns newer patents and products.

Because March's trial includes popular items like Samsung's Galaxy S III, it is very likely that the stakes will be higher for Samsung. Last year, the South Korean business was found guilty for infringing on Apple's patent, leading to a damages payout of $930 million.

The idea to consider mediation efforts came from U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh in November — the meeting between both chief executive officers and in-house counsel is scheduled for February 19, 2014, according to CNET.

It is unclear who specifically will be the mediator, but the filing with the U.S. District Court for Northern California stated that it will be with someone who has "experience mediating high profile disputes."

Whenever companies bump heads with competitors, it can be hard to keep track of lawsuits and upcoming cases. A Phoenix small business attorney is available to keep this information in check, helping entrepreneurs stay on stop of their legal disputes. 

Categorised in: Intellectual Property Law

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