LG has announced it has finalized a "global patent licensing agreement" with Google, which will last for the next ten years, reports CNET.
LG announced the news on its website, emphasizing that the patent cross-licensing agreement would cover "a broad range of products and technologies," and includes existing patents owned by the two companies as well as any patents that would be filed over the next decade.
"We're pleased to enter into this agreement with a leading global technology company like LG," said Allen Lo, deputy general counsel for patents at Google. "By working together on cross-licenses like this, companies can focus on bringing great products and services to consumers around the world."
J.H. Lee, the executive vice president and head of LG's Electronics Intellectual Property Center, said of the deal, "LG values its relationship with Google, and this agreement underscores both companies' commitment to developing new products and technologies that enhance consumers' lives."
This is not the first time that such a deal was reached by Google, since the LG-Google partnership is similar to the ten-year patent deal that Google entered into with Samsung in January this year.
The Samsung-Google deal also covered existing patents owned by both companies at the time, and will include any patents filed over the next ten years, although ownership of patents is not transferable under the agreement.
Claire Reilly of CNET calls the LG-Google deal "a sign that LG and Google are tightening their Android alliance," and that it's a "significant win" for LG due to the advantages of not only enhancing ties with Google, but also as a "sign of strength" in the Korean market.
Abhimanyu Ghoshal of TheNextWeb.com says the partnership by both companies "isn't much of a surprise," since LG is already known for working together with Google in the past.
Google's flagship Android devices, the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5, was manufactured by LG, after all. LG had also joined Google's Open Automotive Alliance back in June this year, together with Honda, General Motors, Hyundai, and NVIDIA. The alliance's purpose is "dedicated to introducing greater connectivity into cars through the innovative application of the Android platform."
