Google has entered into a patent cross-licensing agreement with Cisco Systems to help prevent unnecessary patent lawsuits. "We're pleased to enter into this cross-license, and we welcome discussions with any company interested in a similar arrangement," said Allen Lo, Google's deputy general counsel for patents.

Details of the agreement were not disclosed.

Google last month reached a global patent agreement with Samsung Electronics.

Google said in today's release that it welcomed discussions with any company interested in striking a similar cross-license agreement.