It seems like it's been raging on forever, but now, after seven years.... Samsung Electronics and Apple have settled their prolonged patent fight.<br />It all started when Apple accused its Korean rival of stealing key elements of the iPhone.<br />The specifics of the settlement have not been disclosed. <br />Our Ko Roon-hee reports. <br /> The patent battle started in 2011 when Apple accused Samsung of copying the iPhone's design and software features. <br />The court originally sided with Apple, ordering the Korean tech giant to pay more than one-billion U.S. dollars in damages.<br />The two companies spent the next six years in court…fighting over the damages amount. <br />A series of appeals pushed the dispute all the way to the Supreme Court in 2016. <br /><br /> However, the most recent decision was made last month, when a California jury determined the reward for Apple should be 539 million U.S. dollars. <br /> And according to Reuters on Thursday… one of Silicon Valley's most-watched legal battle is finally over. <br />The terms of the settlement filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California were not available…including how much Samsung will pay Apple. <br />Both Apple and Samsung have declined to comment.<br />Apple only pointed to a statement released last month…following the jury award saying "This case has always been more than money."<br /> Local news outlets added that although the smartphone market is no longer growing at such an explosive pace, Apple and Samsung will remain competitors in new sectors like self-driving cars and artificial intelligence software.<br />Ko Roon-hee, Arirang News. <br />
