In the world of technolgoy, Apple versus Google is among the biggest there can be, but the two have agreed to settle patent disputes between them over smartphone technology, which has brought to an end one of the highest profile legal battles in the technology world ever.
The two companies, speaking to the media via a joint statement, said that although they have settled over the smartphone technology, it does not include the cross licensing of the companies' patents.
The case actually put Motorola - now a subsidiary of Google - against Apple over patents and their use on smartphones. Google bought Motorola Mobility in 2012 for $12.5 billion, but has since sold its handset business to Lenovo, but keeping much of the patents in question during this case.
"Apple and Google have agreed to dismiss all the current lawsuits that exist directly between the two companies," they said in a joint statement.
"Apple and Google have also agreed to work together in some areas of patent reform," the statement adds.
In this case, Motorola had accused Apple of a number of patent infringements, and one that was of special importance was how smartphones operate on 3G networks. At the same time, Apple argued that Motorola was in violation of a number of undisclosed smartphone feature patents.
The case largely pitted Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones against Google's Android. Apple had argued that Google and the Android platform were largely duplicates of its own operating system and that it infringed on copyright laws.
The tech world has been ablaze in recent years with litigation between companies over their ability to protect their technology. While the lawsuit, this time, was settled amicably, many expect it to be only a matter of time before companies will begin to see the inside of courtrooms in an effort to protect what they believe is uniquely theirs.
With the smartphone business speeding up and becoming one of the key resources individuals have to stay connected so has competition between the largest makers. Earlier this year, Samsung and Apple saw a court issue payments over patent issues, highlighting that companies were ready to take action against their competitors for what they view as the right to their patents.
This recent case, however, shows that companies may be more willing to come together and work with each other on the intricacies of patent laws and their product development. Tech companies are largely wanting to maintain independence of their designs and products on the market and see infringements as a direct threat to their revenue stream.
