New information in the ongoing Apple vs Samsung part deux court battle shows it actually should be called Apple vs Samsung/Google.
Why? Emails revealed in court today show Google offered Samsung financial aid in the case and to help with damages, if the latter was to lose its battle versus Apple, reports Re/code:
A Google lawyer testified on Tuesday that the software maker, pursuant to its contractual obligations, agreed to take over defense of some of the claims in Apple’s current patent lawsuit as well as to indemnify Samsung should it lose on those claims.
Apple played deposition testimony from Google lawyer James Maccoun, who verified emails in which Google agreed to provide partial or full indemnity with regard to four patents as well as to take over defense of those claims.
Of the four patents Google over which offered to cover at least some costs, two were dropped from the case before the trial began. The two patents that remain in the case, the ’414 and ’959 patents, cover background synchronization and universal search, respectively.
Maccoun confirmed the Mobile Application Distribution Agreement (MADA) setup between Google and Samsung noted the former would help defend intellectual property claims against the latter. MADA allows Samsung to use Google apps on their smartphones and tablets. A deeper look at today’s revelations can be found over at AppleInsider.
Earlier in the trial, a Google executive testified on behalf of Samsung, which led many to already believe both companies were working more closely in the case versus Apple.
Today, Samsung in court accused Apple of infringing on the company’s patent for video transmission in the FaceTime calling feature found on iOS devices.
