Google & Samsung Ink Global Patent Cross-Licensing Deal For Next 10 Years
It's the friendly route of collaboration that sees together two major tech-giants, Google and Samsung, both of whom make headlines every now and then for patent infringement lawsuits (thankfully not against each other), inking a global patent cross-licensing pact on Sunday. The deal includes patents currently possessed by the companies, and also any patents that get filed in the next 10 years, stated the official release. The company statement further stressed on how the deal would "lead to deeper collaboration on research and development of current and future projects." These two companies already collaborate on their smartphones and televisions. The financial details of this agreement were not revealed.
Samsung's Head of Intellectual Property Center, Seungho Ahn believes that such deals showed to the remainder industry 'that there is more to gain from cooperating than engaging in unnecessary patent disputes.' Allen Lo, Deputy General counsel for patents at Google, backed the view.
The companies have epicentered many a patent wars, and majority of the litigations spanning three continents has been between Apple and several Android smartphone-making companies, including Samsung and Google subsidiary Motorola.
