Via Licensing, a Dolby Laboratories subsidiary and intellectual property specialist, announced that Google was the latest company to join its pool of essential LTE patents.

Via said Google’s participation would be “significant”, especially since it includes the “impressive portfolio” of LTE standard essential patents originally owned by Motorola Mobility and Motorola.

The patent pool, which allows participating firms to gain access to essential LTE patents in a “single, cost-effective transaction”, already boasts a long list of big-name industry players.

These include AT&T, China Mobile, Clear Wireless, Deutsche Telekom, DTVG Licensing, Hewlett-Packard, KDDI, NTT Docomo, SK Telecom, Telecom Italia, Telefonica and ZTE.

“Via’s LTE Patent Pool provides a great platform for others to obtain a license to our LTE patents,” said Allen Lo, deputy general counsel for patents at Google. “Via’s LTE patent pool helps provide a pathway towards global connectivity.”

Re/code points out that Google’s signing up to the patent pool comes shortly after it mounted a courtroom appeal against charges it did not uphold its duty to license its technology to Microsoft in a reasonable manner. By joining the LTE pool, the report said, Google might well have to sacrifice revenue from LTE-related patents, but gets protection against future similar charges.

“We recognise that [standards-essential patent] licensing is complex and believe that the Via LTE patent pool provides a creative solution which can meet the needs of both licensors and licensees,” Brian Blasius, Google patent licensing manager, told Re/code.

Participation in Via’s LTE patent pool, which was set up in 2012, is open to all owners of essential LTE patents.