Following its similar deal with Samsung earlier this year, Google has just entered a cross-licensing patent agreement with South Korea's second largest smartphone manufacturer, LG Electronics. The deal covers both companies' current patents and those filed over the next ten years. The patents in question span "a broad range of products and technologies" as per LG's press release.

LG's relationship with Google has been solid over the past couple of years, with the company getting chosen to develop two Nexus devices. So it's no surprise that the agreement being championed by both parties. Allen Lo, deputy general counsel for patents at Google said that "by working together on cross-licenses like this, companies can focus on bringing great products and services to consumers around the world." And LG Electronics Intellectual Property Center's executive vice president, J. H. Lee corroborated his statement by committing to develop "new products and technologies that enhance consumers’ lives."

This arrangement also underlines Google's ongoing effort to reduce and avoid patent-based litigations. For the longest time, it seemed that every couple of weeks one of the Android OEMs was being hit with a new lawsuit pertaining intellectual property. And while things seem to have calmed down recently, it wouldn't hurt any company to have a more comfortable cushion to fall back on. Now thanks to Motorola's patents, and both Samsung and LG cross-licensing theirs, Google's defense line has become a sturdier wall, especially compared to when the company first started its venture in the mobile industry.

LG Newsroom