LG gets license from Intellectual Ventures to avoid lawsuits
updated 11:30 am EST, Tue November 8, 2011
LG takes patent deal with IV to head off attacks
LG on Tuesday said it had reached a patent licensing deal with Intellectual Ventures. The deal gives it access to over 35,000 patents, including outside its usual fields. LG called it a "critical element" to their strategy that would let it defend against lawsuits as well as file countering lawsuits of its own.
It's unclear how voluntary the deal might be. While companies have been known to proactively seek out a license, Intellectual Ventures often makes offers under threat, claiming that companies violate its patents and that doing business with the company is the only way to avoid a court battle. LG does face legitimate pressure from elsewhere, such as Microsoft and Oracle.
Intellectual Ventures has been on the attack in recent months, suing Motorola, Best Buy, Dell, and much of the technology industry to force royalty payments for technology Intellectual Ventures claims to own.
