Redacted Apple-HTC Agreement Reveals Licensed Patents

Little was provided in the way of details when Apple and HTC kissed and made up in a surprise deal several weeks ago. But, thanks to Apple’s ongoing legal wrangling with Samsung, we get a peek at a few of the details.

AllThingsD:

According to the document, both sides are getting a nonexclusive, nontransferrable and non-sublicensable license to certain of the other’s patents. Apple also agrees not to sue HTC over certain covered products, though the specific products are redacted.

The agreement also appears to exclude any of Apple’s design patents and nine specified HTC patents as well as coverage for any products that are defined as cloning an Apple product. (An arbitration process is outlined should Apple feel that HTC has released a “cloned” product.)

Samsung has entered a redacted version of the agreement into the public record, hoping to argue that the deal between Apple and HTC shows that Apple doesn’t need an injunction against Samsung products to be properly compensated for any patent infringement.

It’s obvious that the legal industry must have a HUGE Sharpie bill each year, as there’s an awful lot of black ink covering this document. But, there are numerous bits of info that managed to make it through unmarked.

Chris Hauk

Chris is a Senior Editor at Mactrast. He lives somewhere in the deep Southern part of America, and yes, he has to pump in both sunshine and the Internet.