The battle has been hot and heavy since March 2010, but the legal swords have apparently been beaten into touch-sensitive plowshares and Retina pruning-hooks. On Saturday, Apple and HTC announced that both companies have reached a settlement agreement to cover all outstanding lawsuits. The agreement also includes a decade-long patent licensing deal to cover current and future patents.

The terms of the deal are confidential, but The Verge quotes an HTC spokesperson saying that the settlement will not have "an adverse material effect" on the Taiwan-based manufacturer's financial results.

[hat tip Engadget]