Apple, Samsung CEOs agree to mediation in U.S. patent fight
Apple CEO Tim Cook and Samsung CEO Oh-Hyun Kwon will attend the session.
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics have agreed to attend a mediation session to be held on or before February 19, as they prepare to clash in court in March over smartphone patents.
Apple CEO Tim Cook and Samsung CEO Oh-Hyun Kwon will attend the session with in-house lawyers only, according to a Wednesday court filing. Their legal teams had met on January 6 to "discuss settlement opportunities," the filing read.
Neither company immediately return messages seeking comment.
Apple and Samsung are embroiled in a legal battle over smartphone patents across several countries that mirrors their global battle for supremacy in the mobile device market.
The technology rivals are facing a March trial date in the United States over Apple s claims that Samsung infringed its patents.
In the last two years, Apple and Samsung have gone to trial twice in San Jose, California federal court, and juries have awarded Apple a total of roughly $930 million.
Apple said in court documents filed in December that it has paid its leading outside law firm approximately $60 million to wage patent litigation against Samsung.
The case is Apple Inc v. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, 11-1846.
