Apple to pay Taiwanese firm $5 million in patent settlement

Apple will pay $5 million to settle a patent lawsuit with the Taiwan-based firm Elan, a report said Thursday. According to its website, Elan focuses on the research and development of integrated circuits and touchpad module solutions. Concluding an ongoing spat, the two companies have now agreed on a patent sharing relationship, according to Reuters. Elan originally filed a suit against Apple in 2009 alleging that Apple was infringing on two patents related to multitouch technology. Apple countersued in the United States and a judge eventually ruled last year that Apple was not in violation of Elan’s patents, Reuters explained. However, CNET said Elan continued its patent battle with Apple in a California court case that was expected to kick off in February. Apple is currently locked in a number of patent suits around the globe with several firms, including Samsung, and most recently tried to ban Samsung’s tweaked Galaxy Tab 10.1N in Germany.

Read [Reuters] Read [CNET]

Tags: Apple, élan, Multitouch, patent infringement, settlement