The decision by Taiwan’s HTC Corp. and Apple Inc. of the U.S. to settle a patent battle and agree a 10-year licensing deal was welcomed by the ROC Ministry of Economic Affairs Nov. 11 in Taipei City.
“The settlement is a positive move that will help boost export orders for the local information and communications technology industry,” said Chen Ming-shy, deputy director-general of the MOEA Bureau of Foreign Trade.
Chen’s remarks follow an HTC-Apple statement Nov. 10 confirming the firms had reached a global deal over the use of Google Inc.’s Android platform. Under the terms of the agreement, which pertains to current and future patents held by both companies, all lawsuits have been dismissed.
“HTC is pleased to have resolved its dispute with Apple, so [we] can focus on innovation instead of litigation,” said Peter Chou, chief executive of HTC.
Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, said “We are glad to have reached a settlement with HTC. We will continue to stay laser-focused on product innovation.”
Industry analysts view the settlement as a win-win development for both firms.
“HTC can concentrate on building market share with the release of its new smartphone models in the middle of the fourth quarter, while Apple can dedicate more resource to its legal and business struggles with South Korean giant Samsung Electronics Co.,” they said. (JSM)
Write to Rachel Chan at ccchan@mofa.gov.tw