Court-directed mediation talks between Apple and Samsung fail

It was only recently that it was reported that the CEOs of Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics were to meet over two days in what essentially was a

Anuradha Shetty|May 24, 2012, 18:17:29 IST

It was only recently that it was reported that the CEOs of Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics were to meet over two days in San Francisco in what essentially was a court-directed mediation, seeking to end the now longstanding lawsuit, which saw the one time friends turn foes. Reports coming in now confirm that the talks that lasted 2 days - nine and seven hours, respectively failed to elicit any decision. Reports further add that Apple chief, Tim Cook and Samsung Electronics CEO, Choi Gee-sung met as per the court's directions in San Francisco to participate in the talks on Monday and Tuesday Our last report just before the two heads were scheduled to meet, quoted Foss Patents as saying, "With the companies' CEOs and chief lawyers scheduled to meet tomorrow and the day after for court-moderated settlement talks that are highly unlikely to yield a result, there will be more attention to this Apple v. Samsung case than most of the time." Reports further add that District court Judge Lucy Koh is presiding over the lawsuits, and had been expecting the two tech giants to bury the hatchet before the trials begin in July.

Both, Apple and Samsung, as per a series of earlier reports have locked horns over a host of patents, which each claim has been infringed by the other. At this juncture, a successful outcome of the court-directed mediation talks would have been crucial to the future of both companies. Apple and Samsung were once friends and share a complex relationship as Samsung is a key components supplier to Apple. Previously we had also quoted a report as stating that "Legal experts say the two firms are far from a settlement. Samsung, for example, argues its technologies are worth 402,000 won, or 60 percent of the iPhone retail price of 671,000 won, on the basis that 3G is the only function differentiating the phone from Apple's digital music player iPod Touch. Apple says Samsung's technology should be confined to modem chip prices, or 2.9 percent of iPhone prices at best."