As part of a court ordered interregnum, the CEOs of Apple and Samsung have agreed to change the theatre of their patent war from the courtroom to the boardroom in order to reach a settlement.

“The parties have indicated that they are willing to participate in a Magistrate Judge Settlement Conference (MJSC),” Presiding Judge Lucy Koh wrote in a Tuesday court filing.

Apple sued Samsung in the United States last year, claiming Samsung’s Galaxy line of devices “slavishly” copies the iPhone and iPad. In return, Samsung countersued Apple citing patent violations.

Justice Koh has set a 90-day deadline for Apple’s team, including CEO Tim Cook, to meet with a Samsung delegation, in an out of court hearing overseen by Judge Joseph C. Spero.

Such a hearing is not a guarantee that there will be a resolution in hostilities between the two companies. Google and Oracle took part in a similar out of court hearing last fall, but these talks ultimately failed.

Patent blogger Florian Mueller, who covered the Google-Oracle case, noted in a recent post that the “settlement effort is only semi-voluntary.”

“The courts can obligate parties to meet and talk, but they can’t force them to settle,” Mr. Mueller wrote.

Even though the two firms are locked in a fierce legal dispute, Samsung still manufactures Retina displays for the iPad and iPhone.