The decision still leaves the American variants of phones under scrutiny, and it doesn't change Apple's hopes of a large licensing fee for all the alleged transgressions.

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They would all have the exact same design, allowing for easier licensing and deployment than large-scale facilities.

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For its part, Sun got a potentially large software platform and the licensing fees that go with it.

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While out-licensing has occurred over the years, this was because the out-licensed drug would not generate meaningful sales for a large company.

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