It used to be back in the day that companies out compete against one another simply based on the merits of their products/services, but it seems that thanks to patents being used a weapon, companies are suing each other left and right to prevent their rivals from getting an edge over them, or at least making things really difficult for them. Well the good news is that it looks like a legal battle between Samsung and Google will not be happening anytime soon as both companies have revealed that they have signed a long-term cross-licensing deal with one another that is expected to cover patents that have already been filed, and future patents, for the next 10 years.
The specifics of the deal were not shared with the public, apart from its announcement, although both companies did state that the deal was mutually beneficial. In fact Samsung seemed to take a pot shot at Apple, according to a statement made by Seungho Ahn, the head of Samsung’s Intellectual Property Center, where he was quoted as saying, ”Samsung and Google are showing the rest of the industry that there is more to gain from cooperating than engaging in unnecessary patent disputes.” Both Apple and Samsung are expected to meet up for talks come February, which if not successful, will see both companies back in the courtrooms shortly after.