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Apple and HTC announced a wide-reaching patent licensing agreement this evening that includes settlement of all current litigation between the two companies.

The two companies, which have been locked in a series of bitter patent disputes over the last two years, agreed to a 10-year joint licensing agreement for all current and future patents from both companies, according to a brief statement issued this evening. Financial terms of the settlement were not released.

The chief executives of both companies issued statements welcoming the settlement.

"We are glad to have reached a settlement with HTC," Apple CEO Tim Cook … Read more

HTC today warned that its revenue and profitability will continue to slide in the fourth quarter amid continued pressure in the smartphone business.

The Taiwan-based company, which primarily builds smartphones and some tablets, warned that its revenue will fall 40 percent year over year to 60 billion Taiwan dollars ($2.05 billion). Its gross margins are expected to decline to 23 percent in the period vs. 27.1 percent a year ago.

The results reflect the continued struggles that virtually every handset manufacturer face, with too many competitors scrambling for a piece of a pie that increasingly is getting eaten … Read more

A U.S. trade judge has hinted that Apple may struggle to invalidate patents owned by HTC, which could potentially lead to an import ban on the latest iPad and the forthcoming iPhone.

According to Bloomberg, U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) Judge Thomas Pender said in Washington on Thursday that "clear and convincing means something to me," speaking about the legalities of determining whether a patent should or shouldn't have been issued.

"I have to be pretty darn certain a U.S. patent is invalid," Pender added.

HTC accused Apple of infringing two patents … Read more

Android users might find themselves benefiting from an unintended consequence of Apple's recent patent battle against Samsung.

Older versions of Android (2.x) that were found to infringe upon Apple's intellectual property might get around the ban with an update to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, points out 9to5Google.

This would specifically sidestep patent issues for Samsung's Nexus S and its "Pure Google" experience, one of eight models in Apple's cross-hairs.

On the surface, it sounds as if Google and its partners will want to get Android 4.1 deployed to as many devices … Read more

Apple and Samsung continue to grab smartphone sales from the rest of the industry.

Collectively, the two companies watched their U.S. sales increase by 43 percent from the second quarter of 2011 to the same quarter of 2012, says a new report from NPD Group. Over the same time, combined sales for other companies, such as HTC, Motorola, and LG, fell by 16 percent.

For the quarter, Apple carved out 31 percent of the smartphone market, while Samsung captured 24 percent. That left HTC with 15 percent, Motorola with 12 percent, and LG with just 6 percent.

"By … Read more

HTC has faced some serious setbacks in its patent battle with Apple. But that won't stop the company from getting back up and continuing the fight.

Speaking to reporters at the HTC 15th anniversary ceremony yesterday, Chairwoman Cher Wang said her company "will apply for patents in different fields, and we will also purchase different kinds of patents, such as those owned by S3 Graphics Co." Wang's comments at the company's new headquarters in New Taipei City, Taiwan, were first reported by The China Post.

HTC has been fighting a losing battle against Apple in … Read more

Apple's patent dispute with HTC reached a new level today with word that imports of HTC phones are being delayed by U.S. Customs officials.

The One X and Evo 4G LTE are being delayed indefinitely by U.S. Customs officials over unresolved patent infringement issues with Apple, HTC said, confirming an earlier report on The Verge.

"The U.S. availability of the HTC One X and HTC EVO 4G LTE has been delayed due to a standard U.S. Customs review of shipments that is required after an ITC exclusion order," HTC said in a statement. &… Read more

It's epic. There's the clashing of pixels, the gnashing of processors, and the crunching of operating systems locked in a battle for supremacy.

Apple and Samsung both have claims to the crown, but (much like the Highlander) there can be only one!

Apple topped the U.S. smartphone market with a 29 percent share in the first quarter, according to stats from NPD, but Samsung rocketed to a 24 percent share in the same period. Worldwide, it's a flipflop. Samsung rode the popularity of Android into the No. 1 smartphone slot last quarter with 29 percent global market share, … Read more