Samsung to Pay Apple $548 Million Settlement in Five-Year Old Patent Trial

Just under five years after the beginning of the patent dispute between tech giants Apple and Samsung, the companies yesterday agreed to a settlement of $548 million to be paid by Samsung, as ordered by the San Jose federal court hosting the trial (via FOSS Patents). Samsung is said to now be waiting for Apple's official invoice of the settlement, and if it arrives by the end of day on December 4, it has promised to send the $548 million in full to Apple by December 14.

Samsung found a slight loophole in its agreement to pay the Cupertino company, however, retaining the right to continue appealing the court system and even the ability to "reclaim or obtain reimbursement of any judgment amounts paid" by the company. So, if the court does agree to one of Samsung's appeals in the future, Apple could see some -- or all -- of the $548 million returned back to its rival.

"Samsung continues to reserve all rights to obtain reimbursement from Apple and/or payment by Apple of all amounts required to be paid as taxes. [...] Samsung further reserves all rights to reclaim or obtain reimbursement of any judgment amounts paid by Samsung to any entity in the event the partial judgment is reversed, modified, vacated or set aside on appeal or otherwise, including as a result of any proceedings before the USPTO addressing the patents at issue or as a result of any petition for writ of certiorari filed with the Supreme Court."

In its own part of the filing that made its way through the court system on Thursday, Apple noted that it "disputes Samsung's asserted rights to reimbursement." Earlier in August, Samsung announced plans to try and appeal the patent trial all the way to the United States Supreme Court, following a series of appeals it lost in the intervening years since the legal battle began in 2011.