Google and LG Electronics recently signed a patent cross-licensing contract, similar to an agreement made earlier in the year between Google and Samsung.  The company has been keeping the details of the agreement mostly under wraps, simply stating that it covers current patents on “a broad range of products and technologies” and any future patents filed in the next 10 years.

Rumor has it that the deal grants Google access to some of LG’s wearable tech patents, something that could help give the company’s latest wearable platform a boost.  Google Glass has some close competition (take Samsung’s Gear S for example), so access to new patents may be just what Google needs to get ahead. Google and LG have a history of working together when it comes to Google’s Nest software, but this new agreement could open up a lot of doors for both companies.

In a press release regarding the recent partnership, deputy general counsel for patents at Google, Allen Lo, stated “We’re pleased to enter into this agreement with a leading global technology company like LG…By working together on cross-licenses like this, companies can focus on bringing great products and services to consumers around the world.”

These “mutually beneficial” arrangements are a good sign that companies are pushing for less litigation and more innovation. In 2013 alone, the U.S. Supreme Court saw a record high of IP cases, with over 6,000 new cases filed – a 12.4% increase from 2012.

Google has been a supporter in the fight against patent trolls and one of several companies that believe costly and unnecessary litigation has gotten out of control.