May 17: The two smart phone and technology giants Apple and Google have agreed to end all outstanding litigation between them relating to smartphones.  

There were a number of law suits filed by the two companies against each other. Each alleged that the other had infringed patents in relation to smartphone concept and production. Mainly the lawsuits related to questions over similarities between the operating system which powers Apple’s iPhone range and Google’s Android operating system. Once upon a time, Steve Jobs, Apple’s late co-founder, even went so far at one stage as to refer to Android as a “stolen product.”

The two companies informed a US federal appeals court late on Friday that their cases against each other should be dismissed.

However, in a joint statement, the duo said that the settlement does not include cross licenses on their respective patents. Nor does it end Apple’s existing litigaiton against Samsung Electronics.

The Android Operating System is installed on approx 80 million Smart Phones.