The U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced on Wednesday that it has reached an agreement with Google, ensuring the company will license standard-essential patents it got from Motorola under FRAND terms.
Google faced charges from the FTC asserting that the search giant’s business practices could stifle competition among competing manufacturers of electronic devices, such as Apple. The company was accused of backing off commitments to license standard-essential patents under fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms.
Google had instead been pursuing or threatening to pursue injunctions against competitor’s products for their alleged use of Google’s patents, rather than offering FRAND licensing for said patents.
The FTC said the order “strikes a balance” that will enable Google to negotiate FRAND rates while protecting other companies from opportunistic behavior by Google.
This brings to a formal close the antitrust investigation against Google. The company had agreed to license Motorola’s FRAND patents back in January, but the concessions required approval from the FTC.
