Apple And Samsung CEOs To Meet In Court For Patent Dispute Settlement Talks

According to FOSS Patents’ report, Samsung CEO Gee-Sung Choi and Apple CEO Tim Cook and their general counsels will meet at a San Francisco courthouse within the next 90 days for a discussion aimed at resolving long-standing patent dispute. Lucy Koh, the judge presiding over two Apple vs. Samsung cases in California, ordered the companies to comment on their participation in Alternative Dispute Resolution. As noted in a joint statement of the companies before the court:

“As directed by the Court, Apple and Samsung are both willing to participate in a Magistrate Judge Settlement Conference with Judge Spero as mediator. At Apple, the chief executive officer and general counsel are the appropriate decision-makers, and they will represent Apple during the upcoming settlement discussions. At Samsung, the chief executive officer and general counsel are also the appropriate decision-makers, and they will represent Samsung during these settlement discussions”.

According to the report, the settlement talks will be "semi-voluntary", which means that the court can force the companies to meet and talk, but it cannot compel the parties to reach an agreement. Also it is in the best interest of the two parties to make their heads available for the settlement talks in order to demonstrate a good faith effort at settling the dispute.