Samsung gets to see the details of the HTC/Apple licensing pact

Earlier this month, Apple and HTC inked a 10-year patent licensing agreement that settled all of their lawsuits worldwide. The financial details of the deal were kept secret, but Samsung believes they might be relevant to their dispute with Apple in that in lieu of a permanent injunction barring sales of infringing Samsung products in the U.S., the HTC agreement, at the least, indicates Apple is willing to settle some patent disputes for a royalty payment. Samsung feels it is likely that some of the patents covered in the HTC agreement are patent in suit.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Grewal agreed with Samsung and has ordered Apple to disclose the HTC agreement, for “attorneys’ eyes only.”