Samsung offers Apple an olive branch

Samsung’s lawyers have offered Apple a deal to quell the ongoing legal battle between the two giant tech companies. Details on the deal are scant, but it would allow Samsung to launch its Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet in Australia, where it’s currently not permitted on shelves pending legal proceedings based on Apple’s allegations of patent infringement by the company (Apple has already sold 500,000 iPads in Australia). If all goes according to Samsung’s plan, the tablets could hit shelves as soon as next week.

The problem is, it’s not really clear what’s in it for Apple. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, concessions were offered:

Samsung agreed last week to withdraw two features from the Galaxy 10.1 which allegedly infringed Apple’s patents. That reduced their dispute in Australia to the one patent over touch screen display technology.

There are suggestions that Samsung could also be offering to pay Apple for damages but neither Samsung lawyer David Catterns or Apple Lawyer Steven Burley have shared enough details to bring things into focus.

Federal court justice Annabelle Bennet will preside as hearings resume tomorrow, October 4th. “I can’t promise when I’ll make a decision,” Bennett said. “I will try to get it out as soon as possible.”

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

Corey has been been a tech journalist with a focus on Apple since 1998 and has written for The Loop, MacHome magazine, and as games contributor for The Mac Bible, and co-hosts the iGame Radio Podcast. He works as a corporate consultant and professional musician in Ottawa, Ontario.