Google with some of its major partners have created the PAX, the Android Networked Cross-License Agreement to promote growth and to have a safe harbor on patent litigation.
PAX is the latest cross-licensing patent initiative, in which, each member of PAX will have a royalty-free patent license that covers Android and Google Apps on qualified devices. Google will provide fair and balanced patent systems over the interconnected world. The companies included will help to keep innovation coming, spur future growth, and to be secured against legal threats across the board.
The current PAX members are Google, Foxconn Technology Group, Samsung Electronics, Allview, HMD Global, LG Electronics, Coolpad, HTC, and BQ. These members owned more than 230,000 patents worldwide. As more companies are joining, PAX will provide more patent peace and value to the members with more freedom to innovate.
Android is free to use, and about 400 partners are taking advantage because of this. More than 4,000 devices operating with Android and more than 1.6 billion people was using them in 2016. That is a major draw for any company even though how large or small it may be. By creating an agreement like PAX, it could benefit all of them to focus on spending money and time to handle their business instead of in court.
The things will become better and better when companies will free to produce and use new ideas features without the concern of being alone in the face of a legal battle. This will benefit the consumers as well.
PAX is free to and open to every company who wants to join, more companies are expected to come as time goes on.