Apple allegedly offered Motorola and Samsung patent licensing

Sources, close to Apple, have reportedly shared with Dow Jones Newswires that Apple has offered Motorola and Samsung patent licensing deals in order to settle some of the ongoing litigations.

Allegedly, Apple is seeking between $5 and $15 royalties per handset or roughly between 1% and 2.5% of net sales per device.

If this information turns out true it marks a shift in Apple's strategy when dealing with Google's rife operating system. It's no secret that the late Apple leader, Steve Jobs wanted nothing to do with reconciling with Android but rather wished it gone from the face of the market.

If Apple settles into patent licensing deals with Motorola and Samsung, it could receive a nice cash injection as we all know Android is flourishing in sales but also the Cupertino-based company could raise the price of making Android smartphones, thus effectively hardening the task of producing low-end droids for the mass market and making the OS less favorable for developers.

Trying to stop or otherwise slow down Android by seeking injunctions in various countries is becoming more and more tiresome a task. Samsung and others have proven that even hardware-based injunctions can be overcome in a timely manner so it's logical if Apple has decided to change their strategy. It's either that or we're witnessing a textbook the-stick-or-the-carrot type of game in action.

Microsoft is a known patent licensee to Android manufacturers and has been stigmatized for it as a bully that stifles innovation. There's no denying that if these alleged patent licensing deals go through Apple's popularity among Android fans will hit a new low.

Source | Via