Google and LG sign 10-year patent licensing agreement

LG and Google just announced that they’ve signed a patent cross-licensing agreement that covers a wide range of technologies and products (none of which are being specifically mentioned). The deal involves existing Google and LG patents, as well as patents that will be filed in the next 10 years by both companies.

At the moment, there aren’t too many details on this. Allen Lo, deputy general counsel for patents at Google, said that the deal would allow the two companies to “focus on bringing great products and services to consumers around the world,” while an LG official declared that this highlights their “commitment to developing new products and technologies that enhance consumers’ lives.”

In January this year, Google signed a similar patent licensing agreement with Samsung, although this one was sealed for 5 years, not 10.

LG is the maker of Google’s Nexus 4 from 2012 and Nexus 5 from 2013. This year, however, the South Korean company isn’t manufacturing any Nexus devices, as Google chose HTC to build the Nexus 9, and Motorola to make the Nexus 6. Even so, the patent license agreement announced today is a clear sign that LG and Google still have a strong relationship.

source: LG