Apple picks up 1,024 former Nortel patents from Consortium
Apple, which led a coalition of tech companies
..that include: Microsoft, Sony, Ericsson and RIM (Rhythm in Motion) to outbid Google has recently acquired over 1,000 patents from Rockstar Bidco. At this time (back in August of 2011) Apple bought the Nortel patents, putting up just over half of the $4.5 billion winning bid.
This equates to a 58% stake in the consortium, which inldues 4,000 former Nortel patents now has 1,024 patents, 695 currently registered with the US Patent and Trademark Office, while the rest are in the registration process. It’s unclear at this time as to how many of the patents are related to telecommunications, securing the rights will likely aid Apple as the company continues its legal battles with rivals outside the consortium.
At this time it’s also unknown whether Apple has paid any of the other coalition memers for the rights to “cherry-pick” some of the patents or if there have been an agreement to cross-license the patents it has taken.
The Nortel patents cover mostly wireless techologies, including key concepts in both 3G and LTE wireless data. Google, initially bid $900 million on the patents simply to prevent “patent trolls” from seizing control of them, ultimately stopped raising its bid well below the $4.5 billion pledged by Apple and its partners on the venture. Apple and Microsoft have a wide-ranging patent cross-license agreement, but it isn’t known if the Rockstar patents are included in that agreement.
Here’s to the patent world.
-Kevin
Kevin is an Online and Mobile Marketing Strategist who has worked with companies of all sizes over the last 6 years. You can follow Kevin on any of the social platforms below.
