Grand Patent Alliance

Two of the main combatants in the global patent war that has been raging over the past few years in the mobile/tablet industry have reached an intellectual property détente.  On January 26, 2014, technology titans Samsung and Google announced a grand cross-licensing deal that eliminates current, and avoids future, patent disputes.  Here is an excerpt from the Samsung announcement:

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Google Inc. today 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.

This deal may relieve some of the competitive pressure facing Google after the September 29, 2011, patent treaty agreed between Samsung and Microsoft.  As in any world war, alliances between former combatants can decisively tip the strategic balance from disadvantage to victory.  More patent alliances are a certainty before this mobile/tablet war ends.