
Samsung and Google Sign Global Patent License Agreement - kjhughes
http://global.samsungtomorrow.com/?p=33461
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joliss
These types of agreements might mean that we move from "software patents held
by tech giants" to "software patents held by a cartel of tech giants". That
would be worse.

An agreement like this might avoid the next high-profile lawsuit, but instead
of fixing the patent system it's tapering over the most visible symptom,
creating a patent oligopoly in the process.

Maybe I'm seeing things, but I'm just having Google's ongoing anti-poaching
scandal fresh in mind.

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justin66
Nothing systemic has changed. It's just a little harder for Apple to be
litigious with Samsung and Google, that's all. There are still plenty of other
players in the patent lawsuit business.

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dba7dba
Everyone worried about this agreement somehow being used offensively against
other companies should chill. Samsung has similar agreement with IBM and Sony,
which I believe have been in #1 and #3 spot in US patents granted for last
decade or so.

Samsung+Sony cross-license in 2004
[http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press_Archive/200412/04-12...](http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press_Archive/200412/04-1214E/)

Samsung+IBM cross-license in 2011
[http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/33588.wss](http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/33588.wss)

Apple broke into top 50 in the ranking starting about 2 - 3 years ago.

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ldng
Does anyone know if that also includes Motorola's patents ?

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pratyushag
It's unfortunate that patent sharing is not covered by anti-competitive laws.

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mikegioia
This is fantastic news and something I really hope every other major tech
company starts to do. Maybe they finally realized that the money they
hemorrhage to their legal departments can be better served elsewhere.

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msoad
Apple don't play this game and they have key patents

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belgianguy
Rockstar Bidco, owned by Apple, Microsoft, Sony, Ericsson and Blackberry.

They use this legal vehicle to create shell companies armed with ex-Nortel
patents to attack Android manufacturers and Google itself.

So they (Apple) very much play this game, and this evolution can be seen as a
response to the threat that Rockstar Bidco poses.

Software patents are bad all around: given their infantile lifespan they sure
have caused a lot of trouble already and their offensive usage will really
hamper anyone not protected by a big company.

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polyomino
Big win for Google. Access to IP in all sorts of markets they've yet to
explore.

