Apple, Samsung CEOs agree to mediation in U.S. patent fight

[January 09, 2014]  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) — Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics have agreed to attend a mediation session to be held on or before February 19, as they prepare to clash in court in March over smartphone patents.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and Samsung CEO Oh-Hyun Kwon will attend the session with in-house lawyers only, according to a Wednesday court filing. Their legal teams had met on January 6 to "discuss settlement opportunities," the filing read.

Neither company immediately return messages seeking comment.

Apple and Samsung are embroiled in a legal battle over smartphone patents across several countries that mirrors their global battle for supremacy in the mobile device market.

The technology rivals are facing a March trial date in the United States over Apple's claims that Samsung infringed its patents.

In the last two years, Apple and Samsung have gone to trial twice in San Jose, California federal court, and juries have awarded Apple a total of roughly $930 million.

Apple said in court documents filed in December that it has paid its leading outside law firm approximately $60 million to wage patent litigation against Samsung.

The case is Apple Inc v. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, 11-1846.

(Reporting by Edwin Chan and Andrew Longstreth; editing by Christopher Cushing)

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