Apple and Ericsson Settle Litigation With Global Patent License Agreement

[jamezr]

I'll take a kidney and lung. After all,you have an extra.

yeah and in Apple's instance they have about 200 billion extra.....

 

[rdlink]

I learned a long, long time ago never to make any contract subject to the laws of Texas - looks good on a California company though - next time think Delaware.

Nobody made any contracts "subject to the laws of Texas." These suits were filed in a federal court that is based in Texas. Plaintiffs go there to file ostensibly because it's supposed to be easy to get things to trial quickly (known as a "Rocket Docket"). But it's also widely known by plaintiff attorneys to be very plaintiff friendly.

 

[rdlink]

Good to see this one end.

Finally. It took way too long for this conclusion.

I'd say... seven years it a bit long...

It brings me joy that our Apple stops being a pirate.

Please read the article a little closer. Apple and Erricson had an agreement in place since 2008 that expired in January of this year. The two were at odds over what the terms for renewal would be. So since they couldn't come to agreement in conference rooms they escalated things a bit. That's all. A few months for something like this to play out is not "a long time."

This was just a business negotiation that became contentious. Nothing more. Similar to when you see a broadcaster's programming temporarily removed from a cable or satellite provider's network over a royalty dispute. This happens so that one can use the pressure and embarrassment of news coverage and subscriber complaints to pressure an agreement on the other. Since there is no immediate remedy to a patent dispute (patent holders generally can't unilaterally "remove" their technology from the patent user's product) they resort to the pressure of a lawsuit.

There are patent trolls out there, but Erricson isn't one of them. Just a business trying to use their assets to maximize their profits. There are pirates out there, but Apple isn't one of them. Just a business trying to minimize the costs of producing a product that generates their profit, and keep/increase competitive advantage.

There was no drama. It was just business. Move along. There's nothing to see here.

 

[dk001]

Please read the article a little closer. Apple and Erricson had an agreement in place since 2008 that expired in January of this year. The two were at odds over what the terms for renewal would be. So since they couldn't come to agreement in conference rooms they escalated things a bit. That's all. A few months for something like this to play out is not "a long time."

...

Assume much? Look at a minimum my reply based from a business perspective. It took to long.

 

[rdlink]

Assume much? Look at a minimum my reply based from a business perspective. It took to long.

I don't assume anything. You, apparently do. You assume you know more about how both of these companies should run their businesses than they do. You assume you know what was going on in the conference rooms, negotiation rooms and and boardrooms of these two companies over the ensuing months, when you don't.

At the end of the day both companies got pretty much what they wanted, and it was good for both of their companies. Nobody's products had to be recalled off the market, nobody filed bankruptcy and nobody died because this agreement wasn't signed. So apparently no, it didn't take "to" long.