In order to forestall any future litigation, Verizon and Google announced today that they have entered into a long-term cross license agreement that covers a wide range of their respective products and technologies.
With the agreement in hand, Verizon and Google said they could focus on running their businesses without the risk of future patent litigation between the two.
“Verizon has long championed patent reforms and industry actions that promote innovation,” said Verizon General Counsel Randal Milch. “We look forward to striking similar deals with other high-tech companies also concerned with the innovation tax that patent trolls often collect.”
Google in particular has been in the crosshairs of various patent-related lawsuits—reaching patent agreements with Samsung and Cisco, among others—by “patent troll” companies.
“This cross license allows both companies to focus on delivering great products and services to consumers around the world,” said Kirk Dailey, head of patent transactions at Google. “We’re pleased to enter into this agreement with an industry leader like Verizon, and we welcome discussions with any company interested in a similar arrangement.”