Core dispute with Apple survives talks

Marathon peace talks stretching for 16 hours over two days in Silicon Valley, California, seem to have had little effect in narrowing the differences between Samsung Electronics and Apple, which are charging each other with patent infringements.

Samsung has yet to release an official statement, but insiders at the company said little of substance transpired during the court-arranged encounter, indicating that they have failed to strike an accord.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and his Samsung counterpart Choi Gee-Sung met for nine hours on Monday, followed by another seven-hour session on Tuesday, after a U.S. judge asked them to sit down and resolve the case before it goes to trial late July. It was the first time the bosses of the world’s top two smartphone makers have officially met since the companies became embattled in patent lawsuits.

The two accuse each other of infringing on patented technology in smartphones or tablets. They have filed over 30 related lawsuits in 10 countries since April last year.

Meanwhile, Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee returned from a four-week trip to Europe yesterday. During a brief encounter with reporters at Gimpo International Airport, he said the ongoing financial turmoil in Europe does not appear to have hampered Samsung’s operations yet. But he added the situation in the euro zone was worse than he expected.

Europe accounts for one-third of global demand for electronic appliances. Premium products are especially popular in the continent.

By Seo Ji-eun [spring@joongang.co.kr]