Google and China’s biggest tech firm, Tencent, recently entered into a long-term patent cross-licensing agreement covering “a broad range of products and technologies.” Tencent is valued at over $500 billion and oversees WeChat as well as China’s largest gaming and livestream platforms. The tech giant also has investments in Snapchat, Tesla, and Spotify. While the two companies have not broadly publicized what particular patents or technologies are covered by this agreement, these contracts typically allow the parties to freely exploit the subject matter claimed in the named patents. This further allows these companies to avoid litigation over patent infringement. Although Google has entered into similar deals previously with Samsung and LG of South Korea, this is its first such deal in China. This is amidst news that Google recently opened an artificial intelligence center in China and invested in Chushou, a Chinese online e-sports platform, suggesting the US tech company is trying to strengthen its foothold in China. To date, Google’s classic search engine is completely blocked in China following conflicts with authorities over censorship back in 2010. Nonetheless, Google’s head of patents emphasized how this agreement will allow the two companies to “focus on building better products and services for their users.” #omnilegalgroup #patent #Google #Tencent
January 24, 2018