Apple and Google have agreed to drop all current patent infringement lawsuits between them, the two companies said in a joint statement on Friday. They’ve also agreed to work together in some areas of patent reform.
However, they have NOT agreed to cross-license each other’s patents, notes the IDG News Service (http://tinyurl.com/m88ru6t). Apple filed a lawsuit with the U.S. International Trade Commission in 2010 against Motorola Mobility, which was subsequently acquired by Google. Google has since agreed to sell the smartphone business to Lenovo, but the deal hasn’t been finalized.
A lot of the lawsuits Apple has filed against other smartphone makers, including Samsung, involve Google’s Android operating system. The Friday announcement doesn’t affect the Apple-Samsung lawsuit, however, notes the IDG News Service.
