Samsung and Apple to see magistrate in California

Apple and Samsung Electronics have been ordered to take part in a settlement conference mediated by a magistrate judge to help resolve their patent dispute at a federal court in San Jose, California. Both companies told the court they are willing to participate, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose wrote in yesterday’s order.

The chief executive officer and general counsel of each company will appear, according to the filing.

Apple claims that Samsung’s 4G smartphone and Galaxy Tab 10.1, among other products, infringe its patents. In December, Judge Koh ruled against Apple’s request to block Samsung from selling its 4G smartphone and aforementioned tablet computer in the U.S.

That order followed an Australian court ruling that lifted an injunction on the tablet there.

Samsung, the world’s largest maker of mobile phones, and California-based Apple have filed at least 30 suits against each other on four continents since April.

Though the companies said in a joint April 16 filing that they are willing to participate in the conference with Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero, both sides said they are continuing to narrow the case for a scheduled Aug. 25 trial.

Both companies said they intend to challenge expert testimony, with Samsung arguing Apple’s experts have submitted testimony that falls short of evidentiary standards.

One Apple expert said the company’s product design “allows people a feeling of symbiosis with their electronic tools” and included anecdotes about his vacation in Spain, according to the filing.

Such testimony is “not ‘expert’ in any sense,” Samsung said in the filing. “Several other reports also suffer from irrelevance and methodological flaws,” the company said.

Spokespeople for both Apple and Samsung declined to comment. Bloomberg