Apple vs Samsung: No More Fighting as Techs Drop Lawsuits Outside US

Is a new period of détente in the smartphone wars upon us?

The first steps to ending the often bitter feud between Apple and Samsung have begun, at least outside the United States. Deutsche Welle reports that the corporate and technological giants entered into an agreement of sorts by dropping a series of patent lawsuits against each other outside the U.S.

Apple began litigation against Samsung back in April 2011 when the Cupertino, California-based company accused its rival of copying its popular iPhone. The South Korean monolith responded by throwing accusations toward Apple, insinuating use of Samsung technology without seeking permission first.

Gradually, the war escalated as the disputes spread outside the continental U.S. According to Endgadget, the cases being dropped are spread across Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.

As recent as two years ago, Engadget noted, Apple rejected a Samsung offer to settle an ongoing patent dispute in Australia. The settlement would have allowed Samsung to sell its Galaxy Tab 10.1 within Australia despite Apple's argument that the tablet infringes on several of their patents.

Back then, Apple attorney Steven Burley informed reporters that, "The main reason we are here is to prevent the launch and maintain the status quo."

November of 2012 saw HTC and Apple settle their own patent litigation against one another that resulted in a 10-year license agreement. The Verge noted that the "global settlement" dismissed all of Apple and HTC's complaints covering current and future patents held by each company. Apple's design patents and trade dress were still, however, off limits to HTC. Apple thus seemed to value protecting what they believed made their products unique, namely its aesthetic qualities.

According to DW.de, in March of this year, a federal jury in San Jose, California ordered Samsung to pay $119.6 million in damages for violating two Apple patents. This was significantly smaller than what Apple wanted though as they were seeking $2.2 billion in damages for the violation of five patents.

In that instance, Apple lawyers argued that slide-to-unlock technology and automatic word correction available on Samsung phones would not be possible without the Cupertino giant's inventions. Samsung responded that Apple's issues should have been taken up with Google, the developer of the Android operating system on Samsung smartphones.

Despite the end of litigation between Samsung and Apple outside the U.S., each side continues to pursue cases against each other within the country and no licensing deals or other similar pacts have been entered into by the rivals.