Samsung has announced that it has agreed to pay Apple the court-ordered $548 million for the patent row between the two tech titans that has raged on for the past five years. This came after Samsung and Apple filed a joint case management system Thursday before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The company "has made arrangements to complete payment to Apple," it said in a statement, according to Foss Patents.
The payment will be made by Samsung on or before Dec. 14 as the company awaits Apple's original invoice. This new development came after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit rejected Samsung's petition for an en banc hearing to address the issue whether Apple can enforce payments for patents that have been invalidated by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). For example, Apple is claiming copyright infringement on smartphone features such as pinch-to-zoom and edge-to-edge glass display, which the U.S. Patent Office ruled as non-patentable, Engadget reported.
The payment, which was around half of the amount that Apple originally asked for damages, will be tendered this month, but the issue is still far from being resolved. Samsung indicates that Apple might not get to spend the cash after all. In the event of a judgment reversal, "Samsung continues to reserve all rights to obtain reimbursement from Apple and/or payment by Apple of all amounts required to be paid as taxes," the company statement said. The two companies will still face off in a series of legal proceedings later, including a San Jose court hearing this spring, The Wall Street Journal reported.
