Samsung Gets Copy of Apple-HTC Deal

Late Wednesday right before Thanksgiving Day Apple was ordered to turn over a copy of its recent 10-year licensing deal with HTC – the one that ended all litigation between them – to Samsung. Apple said it didn’t care if Samsung got it but deferred to HTC, which said it didn’t care either, but wanted the publicly undisclosed royalties blacked out because HTC and Samsung compete against each other. HTC of course is understood to be paying Apple. Magistrate Judge Paul Grewal said he didn’t think Samsung could get very much out of knowing the royalties because “the licensing fees with HTC are relevant to the degree of consumer demand for Apple’s patented features” but obliged Samsung anyway with an unredacted copy of the settlement including the fees so his disclosure decisions involving third parties would all be consistent.

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