Samsung Apparently Negotiating EU Antitrust Case About Apple

Samsung is said to be in talks with the EU regulator to settle charges it has abused its market position by forbidding Apple from using its standard-essential wireless patent, reports Reuters.

Samsung’s move comes after the European Commission, which acts as the EU competition regulator, informed the South Korean manufacturer last December that it was seeking injunctions against Apple in an unfair manner by using its standard essential patents.

“Samsung has been involved in settlement discussions for several months now. Samsung wants to settle,” said one of the sources, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.

You may recall that Apple and Samsung are involved in a global patent litigation in their fight over the leading position in the fast-growing mobile market. Samsung asserted its standard-essential 3G UMTS patents against Apple successfully and sought injunctions in various EU countries in 2011, finally attracting the attention of the competition regulator. Samsung had committed to licensing its 3G UTMS standard on fair license to rivals when it was adopted in Europe.

As the sources point out, it’s too early to say if the two parties will reach a settlement. What is known is that in case of breach of EU laws, Samsung could be forced to pay up to $17.3 billion in fines.