Samsung and Microsoft end patent dispute

Seoul: Samsung and Microsoft said Tuesday they had ended a patent dispute that had seen the US software giant sue the South Korean conglomerate for breaching a 2011 licensing contract. Microsoft had filed its complaint in a court in the US in August, accusing Samsung of withholding payments for the use of patented Microsoft technology in its smartphones and tablets.

Two months later, Samsung filed a petition for arbitration with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). In a joint statement issued Tuesday, the two companies said a resolution had been reached. "Samsung and Microsoft are pleased to announce that they have ended their contract dispute in US court as well as the ICC arbitration," said the statement, attributed to Jaewan Chi, Samsung executive vice president, and David Howard, corporate vice president of Microsoft. The statement did not elaborate on the terms of the agreement, describing them as confidential. Samsung has been embroiled in a series of patent disputes in recent years, most notably with US archrival Apple.