Google and LG have announced that both companies are entering a global patent license agreement with each other. The deal, which lasts for 10 years, allows the search company and the Korean electronics maker to cross-license the other's existing patents.
In a sweet and short statement released by LG, the company says the agreement covers all existing patents already owned by both companies and all future patents that are yet to come in the next decade. LG says the agreement covers "a broad range of products and technologies" and that the company is happy with striking such a deal with one of the biggest technology companies in the world.
"LG values its relationship with Google, and this agreement underscores both companies' commitment to developing new products and technologies that enhance consumers' lives," says LG Electronics Intellectual Property Center head and executive vice president J.H. Lee.
Google, for its part, says it is "pleased" with its arrangement with LG. Allen Lo, deputy general counsel for patents at Google, says the cross-licensing agreement will allow both Google and LG to "focus on bringing great products and services to consumers around the world."
Earlier this year, Google had struck a similar deal with another Korean electronics company, Samsung, a company no stranger to tiresome legal battles over patents, most notably with its smartphone maker rival Apple. At that time, Lo said cross-licensing agreements such as the one Google made with Samsung could help companies prevent costly and time-consuming litigation arising from patent disputes and focus instead on innovation.
"Samsung and Google are showing the rest of the industry that there is more to gain from cooperating than engaging in unnecessary patent disputes," says Dr. Seungho Ahn, head of the Intellectual Property Center at Samsung.
Still, Google and LG did not disclose the details of their agreement, so industry watchers can only speculate about their reasons for entering the partnership or what plans both companies might already have.
One thing that is highly possible here is that Google and LG are already laying the foundation of the future of Android. LG has long been an important Android OEM, manufacturing for Google its past-generation Nexus 4 and Nexus 5, and the agreement will provide LG an even stronger position as a key Android OEM. Given the broad array of patents involved, Google could also be looking into new product categories where access to LG's technology is crucial.
