Apple has paid $100m to Creative to licence patents for use in all its products.

This is a fair chunk of change and settles the ill feeling that was brewing between the two tech companies. In May Creative asked the US International Trade Commission to investigate possible infringment of its patents by Apple.

The patents in question centre around the menu navigation on portable audio players like the iPod Nano. Not content just to deal with the matter at hand, Apple countersued. It claimed that Creative had infringed on its patents.

More countersuits were thrown about until today's announcement. It now seems that the bitter wrangling is water under the bridge as Creative is to join Apple's 'Made for iPod' program and begin producing its own line of iPod accessories!

However in a parting shot Apple's CEO Steve Jobs said "Creative is very fortunate to have been granted this early patent."