Android might be free, but when a manufacturer wants to make an Android phone, it has to pay the price of a few patents that companies like Microsoft and Nokia have held for a few years; when you don't pay that price officially, you get sued into oblivion by the likes of Apple and so many others. However, Nokia is one company that won't be suing Samsung any time soon, as the two companies have renewed their patent license agreement for five years.
The original agreement will be expiring at the end of 2013, and for the new agreement Samsung will pay an undisclosed amount that will be decided after a binding arbitration concludes in 2015. “This extension and agreement to arbitrate represent a hallmark of constructive resolution of licensing disputes, and are expected to save significant transaction costs for both parties,” said Paul Melin, Nokia’s Chief Intellectual Property Officer.
Now, when can we expect Apple to start playing nice? Next year? The year after that? Or never? Any guesses?
