Giving peace a chance: HTC, Nokia settle suits in patent deal
The deal between the two is just the latest patent agreement as technology companies look to end the squabbling over intellectual property.
HTC and Nokia on Friday said that they would settle their legal differences over disputed patents, just the latest in a recent trend of surprising camaraderie between tech companies.
Under the agreement, the two companies will end all their pending patent lawsuits. HTC will pay Nokia a fee -- the amount of which was undisclosed -- for access to Nokia's technology and the two will collaborate on work involving HTC's LTE patents. The companies also will look at future technology collaboration projects.
There have been a surprising number of such deals struck in recent weeks. Google and Samsung Electronics said last month that they had struck a cross-licensing deal, further aligning two of the largest players in the wireless industry. Samsung, meanwhile, inked a similar deal with Cisco Systems, believed to help it with its smart-home strategy.
HTC and Nokia have long been at odds regarding their patents, and a deal brings a bit more stability to both sides. HTC is already dealing with falling profit and revenue, as it struggles to find a way to turn itself around, while Nokia is completing the sale of its devices unit to Microsoft.
Of course, the biggest patent lawsuit in the industry -- a massive fight between Apple and Samsung -- remains.
But with all of these deals breaking out, perhaps there's hope Apple and Samsung can make up too.