Samsung, Ericsson settle two-year patent dispute

Samsung and Ericsson have agreed to a cross-licensing deal on wireless technology patents, ending a legal battle that began when the companies failed to renew a pact that expired at the end of 2005.

Under the agreement, which Samsung disclosed in a South Korean filing, mobile-phone maker Samsung and wireless infrastructure vendor Ericsson will allow each other to use their respective patents for 2G and 3G technologies. The filing specifically states that Ericsson will let Samsung use its patents for GSM, GPRS, EDGE, TDMA and WCDMA technology. 

In the filing, Samsung said the companies are withdrawing all patent-related lawsuits against each other. 

Ericsson, based in Stockholm, had sued Samsung in 2006, saying the South Korea-based company had violated 11 patents, the aftermath of the deal that expired in 2005. 

For more on the filing and brief details from a Samsung spokesperson:
- read the AP article here