We thought we were done with the patent lawsuits for today (silly us!) We can't say we promise this will be the last one today, but we sure are hoping this is the case. Apple is now offering an olive branch to settle some pending litigation in exchange for royalty payments to license its patents. It appears Samsung and Motorola Mobility are on the receiving end of the settlement. According to one person familiar with the matter, Apple is not seeking a royalty business, nor are they offering patent licenses to all its competitors. So there goes the notion that they are purely seeking financial gain. The Cupertino company has asked for between $5 and $15 per handset for some of its patents in one negotiation, a source close to negotiations has said. That equates to 1%-2.5% of net sales per device. Earlier, Motorola was criticized for asking for 2.5% of net sales per device for its wireless patents from Apple. Pot meet Kettle, we'd have to say on this one.
No one could confirm if settlement talks are currently taking place, but they did say this is part of an ongoing process. We wonder if Steve Jobs is rolling over in his grave right now. He vowed to destroy Android, and this "settlement" certainly goes against his wishes. In case you forgot, Mr Jobs said "I’m going to destroy Android, because it’s a stolen product. I’m willing to go thermonuclear war on this."
Perhaps they see this is as their way out of the sure mess that will ensue if they continue on this destructive and costly path of constant patent suits. Continuing to pursuit the shutting down and killing of Android is simply becoming impractical. This story is getting more interesting. Is it a sign of Apples weakening resolve, or is Apple leaving a way out for it's competitors?
Source: nasdaq