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April 4, 2011
Unprecedented Opportunity
While
Nortel Networks ran its business into the ground, it amassed, and litigated, a
formidable, if cracked, patent portfolio - around 6,000 U.S. patents and apps,
covering networking, wireless, and Internet technologies. (Patent
Hawk invalidated several patents Nortel asserted in years past, hence the
"cracked" comment.) But corporations are always about numbers, not quality, so
Google has put up a big number to buy the Nortel patent portfolio: $900 million.
The portfolio is being auctioned off as part of Nortel's bankruptcy
proceedings. Other companies will bid, but Google's opening is eye watering.
Google, or some billion-dollar bidder, will use Nortel's portfolio for leverage
in patent suits from competitors, and licensing muscle.
Source: Wall Street Journal
Posted by Patent Hawk at April 4, 2011 2:46 PM | Patents In Business