FX.co ★ Google and Samsung have secret pact over Apple patent claims

If the largest global corporations pursue legal actions against each other, they might incur losses gauged at 7-digit figures. A lawsuit between the two high tech giants brought evidence that in 2012 Google and Samsung settled a secret pact over Apple patent claims. The pact between Google and Samsung was revealed in a video-taped recording played to the eight-person jury hearing Apple's patent infringement case against the Korean firm, in which the iPhone maker is seeking more than $2 billion in damages. In the video, Google’s lawyer James Maccoun was forced to show a series of emails between Google and Samsung in which the agreement was hammered out. Frequent lawsuits and hefty fines made Google and Samsung set about “partnership” to gang up on Apple. As a result, they entered into a secret agreement for their mutual benefit. In the emails, Google offered to indemnify Samsung against two Apple patents as they relate to the Android search box, and a third Apple patent as it relates to Google's Gmail app, according to Maccoun's testimony. The court declared Apple’s claim for the gross patent infringement as fair. By playing the video, Apple was trying to show the jury that the two companies had been co-operating to defend against those patents. Now, the video is convincing evidence for the court. Samsung has argued more than once that some of Apple's claims should be disregarded by the jury because they related to software developed by Google. This time, Apple succeeded in proving “the direct connection” between its rivals. Meanwhile, the US technology giant is awaiting a counter-move from Samsung.