Samsung and Cisco agree to share patents, sue less

Tired of endless patent lawsuits? So are Samsung and Cisco. The two companies have entered a patent cross-license agreement, essentially promising not to sue each other for the next ten years. The decade long deal specifically gives the firms access to each other's patient portfolios and new patents filed during the timespan of the agreement. It's not all about avoiding the courtroom, though -- sharing patents should make it easier for both companies to create new, groundbreaking products without wading through red tape and licensing contracts. "Innovation is stifled all too often in today's overly-litigious environment," Cisco's Vice President of Intellectual Property, Dan Lang, said in a statement. "By cross-licensing our patent portfolios, Cisco and Samsung are taking important steps to reverse the trend and advance innovation and freedom of operation." That sounds pretty positive from where we're sitting. If nothing else, the agreement should make it a little easier for Sammy to stick to its five-year injunction hiatus.