The two companies have agreed to share existing patent portfolios, plus any new patents which will be registered over the next ten years, allowing them to strengthen an already solid relationship. According to a report from ETNews.com in Korea, Google and LG see the deal as paving the way for the development of more innovative products and services in the future.
LG has produced some very interesting Android hardware over the past two years, and by gaining access to Google’s latest advancements this way, should mean it can quickly react to new developments. On the flip side, Google can ensure LG products remain fully compliant with its Android ecosystem, and any other projects on which the pair collaborate.
While this sounds like an excellent reason for teaming up, signing patent deals like this also protect both firms from potentially expensive lawsuits. Collaborative deals like this one increase access to licensed patents, therefore decreasing the likelihood of getting sued for using ones it perhaps shouldn’t.
It’s not LG’s first patent sharing deal. In 2012, LG signed a patent agreement with Microsoft, ensuring any of its patents used in LG’s Android hardware was sufficiently covered. The Korean company is also a member of the Open Invention Network, which helps prevent patent trolling between major corporations, along with Google, HTC, Sony, and many others. Google is no stranger to patent sharing either, and put together a similar deal with Samsung earlier this year.
