Apple and Samsung in talks for out of court deal

U.S. International Trade Commission documents show tech giants Apple and Samsung have been seeking out of court settlements for their feuds over patents. The companies have been feuding in court since 2011, when Apple accused Samsung of infringing on design patents. Samsung countered with accusations that Apple infringed on some of its patents that are necessary to operate a mobile device, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday. Citing sources close to the discussions, Journal said there is no sign the two sides are close to an agreement. A California jury awarded Apple $1 billion for infringing on three patents out of six that were in contention but the International Trade Commission banned imports of some iPhones and iPads, including the iPhone 4. Although the iPhone 4 is still available in stores, the ban involved mostly older model products. The two companies have also been battling it out in the marketplace, with Samsung charging in on Apple in 2011 to take the lead in smartphone sales. Samsung sold 24 million mobile devices in the third quarter of 2011, while Apple sold 17 million., and Samsung has increased its lead since then. Selling phones that use Google's Android operating system, the Korean company sold 64.7 million smartphones in the first quarter of 2013, while Apple sold 38.3 million. Apple remains one of Samsung's biggest customers for parts and Apple has signed a contract for Samsung to supply some part through 2015, the Journal said. "They have a classic symbiotic relationship," said Bob O'Donnell, a market analyst at research firm IDC.