Apple and Samsung Electronics are currently involved in legal battles in 10 countries over their smartphone and tablet technology.
In the latest US installment of the patent dispute The Age reports that both parties have agreed to participate in settlement talks to resolve the lawsuit in which Apple claims Samsung has allegedly infringed several patents.
The settlement talks are semi-voluntary, with Judge Lucy Koh (the US District Court Judge presiding over the lawsuit) ordering the parties to comment on their availability to participate in an “Alternative Dispute Resolution” effort. The settlement talks will be attended by both the Apple chief executive Tom Cook and the Samsung CEO Choi Gee-sung along with the general counsel of both parties. The talks will be mediated by San Francisco-based Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero and must occur within 90 days.
Should Apple and Samsung fail to reach a settlement agreement, the US trial is scheduled to start in late July.