Apple and Samsung Settle 7-Year Court Battle Over ‘Blatantly Copied’ iPhone Features

Samsung had recently appealed a jury’s decision that the company owed $539 million

Apple CEO Tim Cook
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Seven years after initially squaring off, Apple and Samsung have reached a settlement on their longstanding courtroom battle over whether Samsung ripped off the iPhone, The Verge reported Wednesday.

The two tech giants announced they reached the settlement in a court filing on Wednesday in Northern California. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

Apple and Samsung did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.

The fight over whether Samsung violated several Apple patents first started in 2011. Apple claimed its South Korean competitor had copied key iPhone features, including its tap-to-zoom function. Apple was initially awarded $1 billion by a jury in 2012, but the clash has dragged on for several years through a wave of appeals, eventually reaching the U.S. Supreme Court.

A retrial dropped the damages owed by Samsung to $539 million in May. Samsung filed another appeal earlier this month, which is now washed away by the settlement.

“We believe deeply in the value of design, and our teams work tirelessly to create innovative products that delight our customers. This case has always been about more than money,” Apple said in a statement to The Verge last month. “Apple ignited the smartphone revolution with iPhone and it is a fact that Samsung blatantly copied our design. It is important that we continue to protect the hard work and innovation of so many people at Apple.”

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