Apple’s legal fight with Samsung could be brought to an end in Australia after lawyers for the Korean electronics giant offered Apple a deal on a patent dispute that could see the Galaxy Tab 10.1 device go on sales in the country in less than a week.
The WSJ reports that the two companies emerged from a court hearing at the country’s Federal Court in Sydney on Friday, acknowledging that an offer had been made but details of the proposed deal were not discussed in front of the court.
However, Apple lawyer Stephen Burley did admit that Apple would stand to benefit from such a deal, if the two parties were to agree on the matter, noting that “(Samsung’s) inconvenience would be diminished and we would be comforted” by the agreement.
The danger for Samsung is that it would not be able to receive a definitive conclusion to the lawsuit, with Justice Annabelle Bennett telling the court that the proposed deal wouldn’t give Samsung the satisfaction of a final answer to the dispute. However, Samsung lawyer David Catterns acknowledged that it provide a way for the company to sell its new tablet computer ahead of a busy holiday season.
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Apple’s legal fight against Samsung continues in a number of countries worldwide, accusing Samsung of “slavishly copying” its iPhone and iPad devices with its Galaxy smartphone and tablet range. Apple currently has outstanding suits against Samsung in Germany, Japan, France and South Korea.
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