Sony Corp., the world's second-largest consumer electronics maker, and Samsung Electronics Co., the world's second-largest chip maker, said Tuesday they have agreed to share about 24,000 patents, fortifying an alliance between two of Asia's biggest technology companies.
The agreement involves 11,000 patents from Samsung and 13,000 from Sony, including Internet and "basic" semiconductor technologies, said Cho Sung In, a spokeswoman for Suwon-based Samsung. She declined to specify technologies covered by the deal.
Sony is reorganizing its business as rising competition in the electronics industry hurts profits. Sharing patents might help Sony reverse sliding profits at its electronics unit, said Kazuya Yamamoto, an analyst at UFJ Tsubasa Securities Co. in Tokyo.