HTC Refutes $6-$8 Apple Royalty Rate, is "Very Happy" with Actual Settlement

Handset maker HTC avoided following in the footsteps of Samsung by recently signing a 10-year license agreement with Apple, thus avoiding a drawn out battle over patents. Samsung, of course, took the other route and was nailed with a $1.05 billion verdict. Did that play a part in HTC's decision to settle with Apple? One would have to think so, but how much HTC agreed to fork over in the licensing deal is a point of dispute.

Media reports had the figure pegged at $6 to $8 per every Android handset sold. Speaking to reporters this week, HTC boss Peter Chou called those numbers "outrageous," adding that the media has it all wrong, Reuters reports.


"I think that these estimates are baseless and very, very wrong. It is an outrageous number, but I'm not going to comment anything on [a] specific number," Chou said. "I believe we have a very, very happy settlement and a good ending,

Even though Chou called the reported royalty rate outrageous, it's far below what Apple is said to have wanted from Samsung. Long before things between Apple and Samsung got messy, the former tried to get the latter to agree to pay $30 to $40 per every Android handset sold, minus a 20 percent discount if Samsung would also agree to cross-license some of its own patents back to Apple.