Google has introduced a patent licensing initiative called the Android Networked Cross-License Agreement that it hopes will foster peace in the often litigious world of technology-based intellectual property.
The initiative, dubbed PAX for short (the word pax is Latin for "peace"), is free and open for anyone to join. Jamie Rosenberg, VP of Business & Operations at Android and Google Play, said in announcing PAX that members will grant each other royalty-free patent licenses covering "Android and Google Applications" on qualified devices.
The idea, Rosenberg said, is to ensure that innovation and consumer choice - not patent threats - will continue to be key drivers of the Android ecosystem. Specifically, it'll free up time and money for members (fighting off patent trolls is expensive and time-consuming, after all) who can then dedicate said resources to creating new ideas and products.
A number of major Android players including Samsung, LG, Foxconn, HTC, HMD Global and of course, Google, have already signed up. Collectively, Rosenberg said members own more than 230,000 patents - a figure that'll only grow as more companies join on.
Other high-profile patent initiatives that Google has helped create include the License on Transfer (LOT) Network and the Open Patent Non-Assertion (OPN) Pledge.
Those interested in joining are encouraged to visit the PAX website for more information.