Samsung has “no intention” to follow the example of HTC and work out a settlement with legal and consumer tech rival Apple, according to Samsung Electronics Head of Mobile J.K. Shin. He said so to reporters today, the AFP reports, when asked if Samsung might pursue a settlement similar to the 10-year cross-licensing agreement announced by Apple and HTC this past weekend.
Of course, Samsung has little to gain by proclaiming an interest in giving ground in its ongoing patent dispute with Apple, which spans 10 countries, multiple lawsuits and involves both hardware design and software patents. Certainly, Samsung could still be working behind the scenes to come up with such an arrangement, but it’s likely, given the circumstances, that Shin’s statements can be taken at face value in this case.
Consider that Apple and Samsung have made apparently little progress in trying to come together to settle this issue outside of court in the past. Apple reportedly offered Samsung a licensing deal for iPhone and iPad-related patents at around $30 to $40 per phone and tablet, back in 2010, a deal Samsung rejected. And top executives at the two companies have met repeatedly to try to find an arrangement that satisfies both parties, including twice this past year that we know of. Court orders have also been issued to try to force a resolution by getting the companies negotiating, and still, the two are at each other’s legal throats.
Shin also told reporters today that he expects Samsung’s Q4 results to be in line with Q3 with respect to smartphone sales, which basically means the company isn’t sweating its success. Last quarter, the Galaxy S3 became the world’s best-selling smartphone, dethroning Apple’s iPhone 4S as the single best-selling device. The strength of its consumer sales is why I argued Samsung has no strong motivation to arrange a deal like the one agreed to by HTC, and likewise, Apple doesn’t really have a good reason to settle unless it finds terms very agreeable to its position and goals with these lawsuits.
