Rovi signs patent licensing pact with Google

Rovi Corp signed an agreement with Google Inc to allow the technology giant to use its interactive program guide patent portfolio for set-top boxes, sending its shares up 4 percent in premarket trade.

The agreement also allows Rovi's patents to be used for online and mobile platforms.

Rovi's software is used in home entertainment devices to play various digital media formats such as DivX.

Google bought Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc for $12.5 billion last year and got access to its hardware business, which builds phones and television set-top boxes.

Shares of Santa Clara, California-based Rovi rose 59 cents to $14 in trading before the bell. The stock closed at $13.41 on the Nasdaq on Wednesday.

Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012