“We’re pleased to enter into a patent cross-license with Tencent. By working together on agreements such as this, tech companies can focus on building better products and services for their users,” Google’s Head of Patents Mike Lee said in a statement.
Google’s core search service remains blocked in China, but this announcement follows a string of developments that have seen the firm ramp up in other areas in the country. In December, it announced the creation of an AI Lab in Beijing, Google’s first such facility in China, it is opening a presence in Shenzhen, and recently invested in streaming service Chushou.
On the other side, the deal is also another meaningful global exercise from Tencent. Long one of China’s most influential tech giants through its hugely profitable gaming business and massively popular WeChat service, Tencent made a series of major global moves last year with investments in Snap, Tesla and Spotify.