Samsung, Google Agree on Long-Term Licensing
Published at
STR/AFP/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — In the face of intensifying intellectual property battles between the smartphone rivals, Samsung Electronics Co. and Google Inc. have signed a long-term cross-licensing deal on technology patents that include a broad range of areas, the South Korean company said Monday in a statement.
The deal, for which no financial terms were disclosed, covers unspecified intellectual property that has already been registered as well as new patents filed over the next 10 years, reports the Wall Street Journal.
The newspaper quoted Google’s deputy general counsel for patents, Allen Lo, as saying that agreements like this encourage companies to focus on innovation rather than litigation.
While most of Samsung’s phones are powered by Google’s Android operating system, its major competitor, Apple, is responsible for the popular iOS-powered iPhone. A federal jury recently ruled that Samsung must pay Apple $930 million in damages for patent infringement, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio