Samsung and Microsoft have settled a lawsuit regarding the former’s non-payment of royalties relating to Android.
Back at the beginning of August, it was reported that Microsoft was suing Samsung for failing to pay its Android patent fees.
That might sound a little odd given that Android is a Google property, but Microsoft actually makes a significant profit out of the platform too. That’s thanks to its formidable library of related patents, which mean that any manufacturer using Android in its phones has to pay its due to Microsoft.
In late 2013, Samsung started refusing to pay Microsoft as per their agreement. It seemed as if the Korean giant was using Microsoft’s Nokia acquisition as an excuse for non-payment, somehow.
Now it appears as if the two companies have settled their differences, according to a joint statement published on both Microsoft’s and Samsung’s official blogs.
“Samsung and Microsoft are pleased to announce that they have ended their contract dispute in U.S. court as well as the ICC arbitration,” reads the statement. “Terms of the agreement are confidential.”
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That latter part means that we have no idea about the level of the remuneration package agreed between the two tech giants. We doubt Samsung will have wrangled its way out of continuing to pay royalties, however.
All in all, it’s evidently another compelling explanation for why Samsung seems to eager to look to an Android alternative for future devices.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
