During testimony in the Apple (AAPL) vs. Samsung (005930) patent trial on Monday, the Cupertino-based company’s patent licensing director Boris Teksler revealed that Apple had previously licensed its design patents to rival Microsoft (MSFT), Reuters reported. The agreement had an “anti-cloning” clause however, that prevents Microsoft from copying Apple’s iPhone and iPad. “There was no right with respect to these design patents to build clones of any type,” Teksler said. Apple previously reached out to Samsung in 2010 in an attempt to license its patents to the South Korean manufacturer, but no agreement was reached. Teksler revealed that Apple offered its rival a number of patents to license, with the exception of those considered critical to the company’s “unique user experience.”
Apple to Samsung: We licensed essential patents to Microsoft while you refused and just copied us
Updated Dec 19th, 2018 8:32PM EST
If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.
Dan joins the BGR team as the Android Editor, covering all things relating to Google’s premiere operating system. His work has appeared on Fox News, Fox Business and Yahoo News, among other publications. When he isn’t testing the latest devices or apps, he can be found enjoying the sights and sounds of New York City.
