Judge urges Apple, Samsung CEOs to talk settlement
Hoping for a possible settlement, the judge in the case between the two companies tells their CEOs to call each other before the jury decides.
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh today once again urged Apple and Samsung's chief executives to meet in hopes of settling the case.
"If you can have your CEOs have one last conversation, I'd appreciate it," Koh told legal counsel for both companies in court here today.
Apple and Samsung had previously met ahead of the trialto discuss settlements, court-mandated talks that did not lead to a resolution.
The plea came on the heels of Koh telling both companies that they should narrow their claims. Apple, for instance, is currently targeting more than 20 of Samsung's devices (see chart here). Both companies have asked for a U.S. sales ban on the other's products in addition to monetary damages. Particular patent rulings could also force either company to make changes to its software.
The trial between the two tech giants kicked off at the beginning of the month, and is currently in its third week. Both Apple and Samsung aim to make their two-hour closing arguments next week, which will be followed by jury deliberation. Koh expressed doubts that the jury decision would be nice and tidy.
"If you all want to keep over-reaching, it's up to you," Koh said. "But I think it would be better to streamline this case."
Complete coverage: Apple v. Samsung, a battle over billions