What Are The Implications Of The Samsung And Google Patent Sharing Deal?

Samsung and Google have signed a landmark global patent cross-license deal which allows both tech giants access to each other’s technology patents for the next 10 years. The deal in question is worth $650 million. The implications of the agreement could be huge allowing one of the companies best known for the Android OS and its search engine integration to access the hardware patents of Samsung and vice versa. The deal is already showing some of the potential implications are rumors are coming out of the Samsung Galaxy Glass, expected to be released during IFA Berlin 2014 in September.

The Samsung and Google patent deal is also a welcome change in the industry which has been known for fierce patent battles fought among companies like Apple, HTC, Google, Samsung and LG. The Google and Samsung deal could represent a change that helps drive innovation for both companies. The deal applies for all existing patents of the companies and also covers any patents that are filed for the next 10 years. Essentially this means that Samsung can gain access to Google’s software patents while Google gets the hardware patents. That means we might see a revival in things like Samsung Nexus devices (Nexus 10 2 refresh anyone) as well as more Samsung smartphones and tablets become Google Play Edition.  

The Samsung and Google patent agreement also has some interesting implications for Motorola, making them a serious contender by allowing them to take advantage of some of Samsung’s hardware patents. We could see some more heavy hitting Motorola flagships or we could see more low-priced handsets integrated with high-quality hardware. The possibilities that this deal offers are needless. Equally interesting is that this is not the only patent agreement that Samsung has made for cross-licensing, a similar agreement has been made with Ericsson.

The Samsung Tomorrow press release is below:

Samsung Electronics and Google Inc. furthered their long-term cooperative partnership with a global patent cross-license agreement covering a broad range of technologies and business areas. The mutually beneficial agreement covers the two companies’ existing patents as well as those filed over the next 10 years.

“We’re pleased to enter into a cross-license with our partner Samsung,” said Allen Lo, Deputy General Counsel for Patents at Google. “By working together on agreements like this, companies can reduce the potential for litigation and focus instead on innovation.”

With this agreement, Samsung and Google gain access to each other’s industry-leading patent portfolios, paving the way for deeper collaboration on research and development of current and future products and technologies.

“This agreement with Google is highly significant for the technology industry,” said Dr. Seungho Ahn, the Head of Samsung’s Intellectual Property Center. “Samsung and Google are showing the rest of the industry that there is more to gain from cooperating than engaging in unnecessary patent disputes.”