Apple and Microsoft have cross-licensed their technologies under a condition known as ‘anti-cloning’, meaning their devices cannot look similar to each other.

The revelation was unearthed in the on-going legal dispute between Apple and Samsung, which has laid bare a series of exciting secrets behind each firm's operations.

“There was no right with respect to these design patents to build clones of any type,” said Apple’s patent chief, Boris Teksler.

According to Teksler, Apple tried securing a similar deal with Samsung, however, negotiations failed, leading to the current court case in which Apple has accused the South Korean firm of copying its products.

Meanwhile, Samsung, which has the biggest share of the smartphone market,  claims Apple is guily of infringing its wireless technology patents.