Apple Inc. and HTC Corp. have settled all global lawsuits and signed a 10-year licensing agreement, ending a dispute that threatened their shipments of mobile devices.
Apple, which had accused HTC of copying features that made its iPhone unique, “will continue to stay laser focused on product innovation,” Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook was cited as saying in a joint press release confirmed by both companies. HTC had accused the Cupertino, California-based maker of iPads and MacBooks of infringing its wireless patents.
An Apple complaint to the U.S International Trade Commission sought to block imports of HTC smartphones because the devices allegedly copied the iPhone’s pinch-to-zoom feature. HTC fought back, alleging infringement of patents it bought last year for ways to reliably transmit a larger amount of data.
Both parties declined to provide details of the settlement.
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