Tim Cook and Samsung CEO Choi Gee-sung Meeting Today to Discuss Patent Issues

Following last month's announcement that Apple and Samsung had agreed to high-level talks involving the two companies' CEOs in an attempt to resolve ongoing patent litigation, Reuters provides a preview of the session set to begin today in San Francisco. The talks, which will be mediated by a federal judge, are scheduled to take place over the next two days.

apple samsung logos
Commenting before his departure to the United States for the talks, Samsung mobile division chief JK Shin noted that while significant differences between Apple and Samsung still exist, a number of "negotiation options" remain on the table.

"There is still a big gap in the patent war with Apple," JK Shin said, before departing for the United States for the mediation talks. "But we still have several negotiation options."

Court documents show the two companies have had at least one mediation session, although it is not clear if Cook and Choi were involved.

Legal experts are not optimistic that the two companies will reach a settlement, but with courts increasingly pushing companies to seek alternative dispute resolution processes in hopes of staving off drawn-out court battles, Apple and Samsung have agreed to participate in the talks.

Samsung is just one of Apple's main targets in its patent battles with Android-based hardware manufacturers. In another case, Apple succeeded in slowing U.S. imports of several HTC smartphones earlier this month, forcing the company to delay the launch of the Evo 4G LTE on Sprint although HTC has indicated that some shipments of some models are being released by U.S. Customs.

But while Apple's disputes with several Android device manufacturers center on functionality of the devices, the company's dispute with Samsung extends further to claims that Samsung has "chosen to slavishly copy" the design of Apple's products with its own line of Galaxy smartphones and tablets.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

When Will Apple Release iOS 26.2?

Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week. Past Launch Dates Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
Sad Siri Feature

Apple AI Chief John Giannandrea Retiring After Siri Delays

Monday December 1, 2025 2:16 pm PST by
Apple AI chief John Giannandrea is stepping down from his position and retiring in spring 2026, Apple announced today. Giannandrea will serve as an advisor between now and 2026, with former Microsoft AI researcher Amar Subramanya set to take over as vice president of AI. Subramanya will report to Apple engineering chief Craig Federighi, and will lead Apple Foundation Models, ML research, and ...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
Netflix Smaller 4

Netflix Kills Casting From Its Mobile App to Most Modern TVs

Monday December 1, 2025 4:36 am PST by
Netflix has quietly removed the ability to cast content from its mobile apps to most modern TVs and streaming devices, including newer Chromecast models and the Google TV Streamer. The change was first spotted by users on Reddit and confirmed in an updated Netflix support page (via Android Authority), which now states that the streaming service no longer supports casting from mobile devices...
Touchscreen MacBook Feature

Here Are the Four MacBooks Apple Is Expected to Launch Next Year

Monday December 1, 2025 5:00 am PST by
2026 could be a bumper year for Apple's Mac lineup, with the company expected to announce as many as four separate MacBook launches. Rumors suggest Apple will court both ends of the consumer spectrum, with more affordable options for students and feature-rich premium lines for users that seek the highest specifications from a laptop. Below is a breakdown of what we're expecting over the next ...
iphone 17 cyber

iPhone 17 Demand Is Breaking Apple's Sales Records

Tuesday December 2, 2025 9:44 am PST by
Apple's iPhone 17 lineup is selling well enough that Apple is on track to ship more than 247.4 million total iPhones in 2025, according to a new report from IDC. Total 2025 shipments are forecast to grow 6.1 percent year over year due to iPhone 17 demand and increased sales in China, a major market for Apple. Overall worldwide smartphone shipments across Android and iOS are forecast to...
Cyber Week Deals 2025

Best Cyber Week Apple Deals Include Big Discounts on AirPods, Apple Watch, and More

Sunday November 30, 2025 7:33 am PST by
Cyber Week is here, and you can find popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more at all-time low prices. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Specifically,...
iOS 26

What to Expect From Apple This December: iOS 26.3 Beta, Replay 2025, and More

Monday December 1, 2025 8:40 am PST by
The calendar has turned to December, and the quieter year-end holiday season is now upon us. Nevertheless, we can still expect a few things from Apple this month. Apple previously announced that iOS 26.2 will be released to the general public in December, and we can expect corresponding updates to be released as well, including iPadOS 26.2, macOS 26.2, watchOS 26.2, tvOS 26.2, and visionOS...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...

Top Rated Comments

Peace Avatar
177 months ago
Have you forgotten about this already? Samsung's Market Cap Takes $10 Billion Hit Amid Rumors of Apple DRAM Deal with Elpida (https://www.macrumors.com/2012/05/16/samsungs-market-cap-takes-10-billion-hit-amid-rumors-of-apple-dram-deal-with-eloped/). It's glaringly obvious who needs who here. :cool:

You do realize Apple,Inc. has lost almost $60 Billion in market Cap. over the last 20 days right ?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
oheckyeah Avatar
177 months ago
Have you forgotten about this already? Samsung's Market Cap Takes $10 Billion Hit Amid Rumors of Apple DRAM Deal with Elpida (https://www.macrumors.com/2012/05/16/samsungs-market-cap-takes-10-billion-hit-amid-rumors-of-apple-dram-deal-with-eloped/). It's glaringly obvious who needs who here. :cool:
I don't think either one needs one more than the other. We have Apple fanboys (you) claiming that Elpida (or similar company) will provide the components Apple needs. Will they be up to Samsung quality? Most likely not. Will Apple's sales drop if quality is lost? Or if they can't get the volume Samsung provides? Yes. Not to mention all the other parts that Samsung makes, and at such high volume.

On the other hand, Samsung does have a large market in making parts for Apple. Huge demand for them, and a huge market share.

So to suggest that this relationship is anything but symbiotic, and take sides as to who needs who, is stupid. They both benefit, hence the reason neither company has dropped the other, and the reason that they are attempting to resolve this, whether it be in court or through settlement talks.

Get off your high horse. Neither company is better than the other.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rei101 Avatar
177 months ago
That's what people should do. Get the experience and talk. Not hiding behind egos and send the troops.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ChrisTX Avatar
177 months ago
The best thing that can happen with these two is to go their separate ways. Apple will see how much they need Samsung's quality class leading parts in the quantities only Samsung can supply. At the same time, Samsung will see how much they don't need Apple as others will fill the void no problem. Apple has already tried to leave Samsung, but have end up crawling back as Samsung knew they would. This is FACT.
There is no doubt Apple see Samsung as their biggest threat in the market.

Have you forgotten about this already? Samsung's Market Cap Takes $10 Billion Hit Amid Rumors of Apple DRAM Deal with Elpida (https://www.macrumors.com/2012/05/16/samsungs-market-cap-takes-10-billion-hit-amid-rumors-of-apple-dram-deal-with-eloped/). It's glaringly obvious who needs who here. :cool:
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
charlituna Avatar
177 months ago
Excellent! This is the best way to attempt to solve the issues. If it doesn't work, then continue legal action. One thing for sure, this would never happen if Steve was around.

That last line is bull. Tim Cook isn't the one that set this up, the courts did. And the courts could have done it on Steve Jobs as well. And probably would have given their reasoning which was to not tie up busy courts with something that reasonable folks should be able to sort out on their own.

----------

They would do a lot better if they would just agree to cross-license their stuff and not have to pay so much attention to the legal stuff.

Samsung is pushing for a cross license deal in the non trade dress stuff. The trouble with that is that Samsung wants access to proprietary Apple patents that are key to what makes Apple's devices unique etc. Patents that Apple has zero legal obligation to have to license if they don't want to. And, no shock, they don't want to. But on the flip side, Samsung is holding FRAND patents hostage over the issue making their demands part of the conditions for getting the license they have to agree to. That game isn't fair, reasonable or non discriminatory which means Samsung is in a major violation of the FRAND rules. Apple will be found by the courts to have infringed on the patents and will be forced to pay for their use and likely some portion of back payment which I suspect they are fine with, depending on the terms. Starting with the fact that it will not include forcing them to license non FRAND items to anyone. Nor will they be asked to pay amounts way over what everyone else does simply because they are Apple and can afford it.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jobsian Avatar
177 months ago
Great move by Cook&co imo.

Also, very glad this isn't a thread where 'shut up and take my money' applies.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)