Having taken the holidays off (in Samsung’s case to nurse its wounds), Apple and Samsung are back to patent negotiations.

According to an article which appeared Sunday in The Korea Times, the two companies have resumed their patent battle — with officials at the Fair Trade Commission saying the companies are looking to hash out issues related to royalties.

“As far as I know, the companies recently resumed working-level discussions toward the signing of a potential deal,” an unnamed official was quoted as saying in the story. “They are in the process of narrowing differences over royalty payments.”

The official also noted that the FTC has teamed up with antitrust regulators in Europe and the U.S. to discuss the matter.

Samsung is reportedly hoping to sign a “cross-licensing” deal granting it access to a number of Apple design patents. Apple is allegedly asking for more than $30 per device due to patent violations — a figure Samsung considers too high.

“This is all about money and pride,” the FTC official was quoted as saying. “This is not a political issue.”

• SourceThe Korea Times
• ViaElectronista