Google and Samsung Sign Global Patent Deal

An anonymous reader writes "Google and Samsung have signed a global patent cross-licensing agreement aimed at reducing 'the potential for litigation' and enhancing innovation. The deal will cover 'a broad range of technologies and business areas' and apply to both existing patents and any filed over the next decade. The move is also expected to strengthen their position against rivals such as Apple, which has filed multiple lawsuits worth billions of dollars for alleged patent infringements."

Comments

1 edge

[i kan reed]

So we have a broken patent system with thousands of broken abusive nodes(companies with dumb patents), and millions of broken abusive edges(suing each other).

But good news, everyone! We removed one edge from the graph, and everything's better now. We're treating the symptoms and not the disease.

Also blocks startups.

[Anonymous Coward]

So these megacorps can freely use each other's overbroad patents-of-vague-concepts, but any time an independent inventor tries to get a business off the ground, he will be litigated into oblivion.

Patents do not foster innovation, they protect the wealthy from it.

Re:Also blocks startups.

[PopeRatzo]

but find me an instance of Google suing someone without being sued first

So, as long as they've ever been sued by someone, then it's OK for Google to sue over a different overbroad patent?

This isn't the playground, where "He hit me first!" has any meaning.

Google certainly has the means to defend itself from infringement suits, and by filing it's own suits on different patents, instead of just mounting a defense, they're participating in making the problem worse.

Re:Also blocks startups.

[Chas]

Unfortunately "Stop it! Just stop it!" doesn't work.
The amounts of money involved here are significant enough that simply brushing them off by flat-out winning a court case isn't enough to deter them from trying again, and again and again:

Pretty much the only thing keeping some of these lawsuits at bay are:

A: Massive patent portfolios that can be trotted out, invalidating patent claims, thus costing them money.
B: The threat of being punitively counter-sued based on above-mentioned patent portfolios, thus costing them more money.
C: The possibility of losing one of these counter-suits, possibly bankrupting them, or at least detrimentally disrupting their cash flow.

Would it be EASIER if these companies didn't need to build up monster war chests of patents?
Sure!

In our current legal climate, would it be SMARTER if they didn't?
No fucking way in hell!

The market seems unhappy at the moment.

[jeffb (2.718)]

Wonder how much this has to do with this morning's 2% drop in stock price? I'd think this would be reducing uncertainty, tending to drive the price up...

Re:Great deal for Samsung, not so much for Google

[oodaloop]

For the most part, not particularly, since Google isn't interested in manufacturing.

Except for Motorola, Nest, and who knows how many other branches and acquisitions. Google may have not been involved much with manufacturing in the past, but the future seems more so.

Unholy Alliance

[DarthVain]

Does anyone else see this as an unholy alliance in the tech war? Google and Samsung just called a truce. Each has huge patent portfolios, and not only that the agreement is binding on future technology for the next 10 years.

Their main competitors being Apple and Microsoft, I am fairly certain hell would freeze over before those two unite...

Pretty strong strategic plan for the future dominance.