Apple Patents Licensed To Microsoft While Samsung Declined

It seems that one of the bigger stories to come out of the Apple vs Samsung trail over the past few days has gotten just a bit more complicated, as the patents Apple offered to Samsung several years ago – the same that are on trial now – were also offered to Microsoft. As Apple's director of patent licensing and strategy Boris Teksler noted in the case, Microsoft and Apple have had a long-running cross-licensing deal going in which all of the patents in the case at hand were and are included. With that deal came "specific rules" in which both companies are not allowed to make "clone" products.

In this Microsoft / Apple licensing deal, Teksler notes that "there's a clear acknowledgment that there's no cloning", this same sort of deal having been offered to Samsung some years ago. Samsung objected noting that Apple had made no mention of their design patents when they met with them at this licensing deal several years ago. Apple responded with the idea that some of those patents were still pending at the time, with several having only been granted years later.

Teksler also noted that Apple never planned on offering up everything they had, "clone" clause or not.

"We were clear we weren't offering a license to everything. We had yet to discuss some what we termed 'untouchables,' if you will. ... We wanted to get properly compensated for that which was infringed, and with respect to our unique user experience. That's exactly what we were trying to do with this presentation." – Teksler

This is one of the last points of "attack" Apple will be able to go on as Samsung's side of the trial, if you will, begins this week. Apple's segment was essentially played out throughout the week previous to this one, while Samsung will call witnesses and experts to the stand Monday through Friday. Stay tuned as it all goes down right here on SlashGear!

[via CNET]