Apple May Abandon Its ‘Thermonuclear’ War Against Android

In the last two years or so, Apple has launched a patent war with manufacturers of Android based smartphones such as Samsung, Motorola and HTC for blatantly copying their products, which has shows no sign of abating. Most the companies have countersued Apple for infringing on their patents. 

Steve Jobs had explained to his authorized biographer, Walter Isaacson, that this aggression against Android-based smartphone manufacturers was meant to communicate a message:

“Google, you f–king ripped off the iPhone, wholesale ripped us off. Grand theft.” Jobs swore he would “spend my last dying breath” and “every penny” in Apple’s coffers “to right this wrong. I’m going to destroy Android, because it’s a stolen product. I’m willing to go to thermonuclear war on this.”

But according to the cover story titled Apple's War on Android in BusinessWeek, Apple may abandon its thermonuclear war against Android under Tim Cook. BusinessWeek claims that Apple and Samsung have communicated lately about patent suit settlements.

People familiar with the situation, however, note that top-level executives at both Apple and Samsung have communicated lately about potential settlement options. Apple CEO Tim Cook does not seem to share his predecessor’s passion about laying all foes to waste. Cook appears to view litigation as a necessary evil, not a vehicle of cosmic revenge.

Though the two companies are talking about a settlement, we doubt the patent wars will end anytime based on the map of Apple's legal assault against Android by BusinessWeek, which gives a glimpse of the patent battleground.