CONFLICT ENDED. HTC and Apple agree to a licensing agreement to stop the lawsuits and to share patents for the next 10 years

MANILA, Philippines - In a joint press release released Saturday, November 10, Apple and HTC ended more than two years of patent disputes.

The announcement made it known that the two companies had reached a global settlement. This settlement would dismiss all current lawsuits between the two.

The press release also included the announcement of a 10-year license agreement that would include current and future patents held by both parties.

According to Florian Mueller of patent analysis blog FOSS Patents, this is the both the 3rd significant smartphone patent settlement since June 2011 and the 15th patent license deal involving Android to have been announced.

The Verge also outlines some reasons for why the settlement may have been more advantageous for both parties. - Rappler.com