Samsung publishes redacted version of Apple-HTC settlement

Both Apple and HTC have been very quiet about the details surrounding their surprise patent settlement they announced last month. We don’t know who paid who what, or what patents were included in the 10-year cross-licensing agreement.

But thanks to Apple’s dispute with Samsung, we’ve been given a glimpse inside the accord. Following a court ruling that said patents in the deal must remain unsealed, Samsung has submitted a redacted copy of the pact into public record…

AllThingsD reports:

“According to the document, both sides are getting a nonexclusive, nontransferrable and non-sublicensable license to certain of the other’s patents. Apple also agrees not to sue HTC over certain covered products, though the specific products are redacted.

The agreement also appears to exclude any of Apple’s design patents and nine specified HTC patents as well as coverage for any products that are defined as cloning an Apple product. (An arbitration process is outlined should Apple feel that HTC has released a “cloned” product.)”

So why did Samsung publish the agreement? As other pundits have opined, it’s more than likely a strategic move to help it argue against Apple’s bid for product injunctions in its post-trial motions hearing set to kick off later today.

You see, Samsung can use the document to prove that Apple doesn’t need a sales ban on its mobile products in order to be properly compensated for patent infringement. After all, it was willing to license some of those patents to HTC.

The 140-page document is soaked with black ink, which happens to hide some of the more juicy aspects of the Apple-HTC settlement, like royalty rates. But if you’re interested in reading through it, you can view the PDF by clicking here.