The longstanding legal battle between Apple and Samsung has finally come to a close--for now. The South Korean phone manufacturer has agreed to pay Apple $548 million as requested by the courts, while reserving the right to file appeals in the future.
The case focuses on patent infringements, with Apple accusing Samsung of using some of its patented technology in the development of smart devices. In 2012, Samsung was ordered to pay Apple $1 billion for the case, but a series of appeals brought the number down to the $548 million which Samsung has agreed to pay. Samsung filed another appeal this past August that would have brought the total down by $400 million, but that never came to fruition.
According to the court filing, the payment will be completed by December 14th. Apple will then withdraw its motion to enforce a partial payment no later than December 16th.
Under the terms of the new agreement, Samsung will be able to request some or all of its money back from Apple. The company believes it did not violate any patents.
“We are disappointed that the court has agreed to proceed with Apple’s grossly exaggerated damages claims regardless of whether the patents are valid,” said Danielle Meister Cohen, a Samsung spokeswoman. "While we’ve agreed to pay Apple, we remain confident that our products do not infringe on Apple’s design patents, and we will continue to take all appropriate measures within the legal system to protect our products and our intellectual property.”
"As shown in Samsung's submissions to the Court, Samsung's design arounds are not new, and Apple has been fully aware of them for years," Samsung claimed in the court filing.