Apple pays Creative $100 million for licensing on iPods "Apple® and Creative Technology, Ltd. (Nasdaq: CREAF - News) today announced a broad settlement ending all legal disputes between the two companies. Apple will pay Creative $100 million for a paid-up license to use Creative's recently awarded patent in all Apple products. Apple can recoup a portion of its payment if Creative is successful in licensing this patent to others. In addition, the companies announced that Creative has joined Apple's "Made for iPod" program and will be announcing their own iPod® accessory products later this year.

"Creative is very fortunate to have been granted this early patent," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "This settlement resolves all of our differences with Creative, including the five lawsuits currently pending between the companies, and removes the uncertainty and distraction of prolonged litigation."

I never thought that this case was going to go anywhere, it just seemed Creative was miffed with Apple's success with the iPod. Not so fast, Apple is going to pay Creative $100 million to basically license the GUI that all iPod's use because it's similar to Creative's GUI on their less than stellar mp3 players. Something's not kosher in Cupertino..

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 8/23/2006 07:00:00 PM