Google Buys Nortel's Patents for $900 Million

[Guest]

Google may have simple been tired of lawsuits that are being filed against it. Fortunately, the company is sitting on a pile of cash to deal with this problem: It simply buys patents.

Google Buys Nortel's Patents for $900 Million : Read more

 

[milktea]

Now with all these network tech patents, Google cannot be touched by others. In fact, they even have the power to reverse suit others who even gets close.

 

[ricardok]

Next on the news: Google sues Apple/Nokia/Motorola/HTC for patent infringement (I bet that I'm writing it wrong but, hey, you get the picture).

I also agree that the patent system is flawed. Every other week we see someone suing someone else because of those dubious patents that are there just for suing others.

Let's all apply for a patent on the alphabet..

 

[LORD_ORION]

Sure... it only cost Canadian tax payers about a trillion dollars in various subsidies over the years to develop these things... let's sell them for a fraction of that worth.

 

[borisof007]

If you can't beat 'em, buy 'em

 

[adiposity]

Isn't this just a bid, and they haven't even won the auction yet?

 

[Titanius]

[citation][nom]adiposity[/nom]Isn't this just a bid, and they haven't even won the auction yet?[/citation]

[citation]Nortel said that it has agreed to transfer its remaining 6000 patents to Google for $900 million in cash.[/citation]

There, reading the article answers all...

 

[Titanius]

Please disregard my above message. Apologies to adiposity, you're right:

http/www2.nortel.com/go/news_detail.jsp?cat_id=-8055&oid=100272100&locale=en-US&lcid=-1

Google has entered a Stalking Horse Sale Agreement with Nortel to buy the 6000 or so patents for $900 Million...stalking horse means that there will be an auction (in June 2011) and the highest bidder will win the patents.

If Google really wants to buy these patents, they won't back down from bidding higher than whoever challenges them, they do have the money.

 

[lp231]

Once I was working on a system that was infected with a severe malware.
The name of the malware tried to mimick Norton and it was name Nortel (not Nortel this article is talking about).
http/www.2-spyware.com/remove-nortel-antivirus.html
http/www.nortel.com/corporate/alert.html

 

[alidan]

[citation][nom]LORD_ORION[/nom]Sure... it only cost Canadian tax payers about a trillion dollars in various subsidies over the years to develop these things... let's sell them for a fraction of that worth.[/citation]

actually, pattens can be simple ideas. like a screw and a screwdriver simple ideas. lets assume that 100 people can make 1 patent every month each. thats 1200 a year.

you can patent the SHAPE of an object if it has some functionality improvements. 100 people with lets assume a 100k a year salery, comes to 10 mill a year.

these patents may be SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than they are selling them for. however the revinue that would come from suing, is a long and counter productive process.

 

[JamesSneed]

The prevention of lost revenue, bad image, and time dealing with law suits is priceless. Hell Samsung had to pay Rambus $900 Million not to long ago for patents. The 3G and 4G wireless related patents may be worth $900 Million alone.

 

[znegval]

[citation][nom]RicardoK[/nom]Next on the news: Google sues Apple/Nokia/Motorola/HTC for patent infringement[/citation]

Bullshit. Google has proven over time that they don't want to join the patent trolling crap. This purchase was probably merely a defensive move.

 

[Camikazi]

I hope they are doing this just to protect themselves from people like Apple and the rest who want to sue their competition to death. If this is just a defensive measure to make sure they can develop without lawyers getting on their back then good for them.

 

[Guest]

The NWO will never be short of cash. They print it and control it.

 

[Guest]

From Microsoft
(via http/www.geekwire.com/2011/900m-bid-google-line-6000-nortel-patents)

The company says in a statement, “Microsoft has a worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free license to all of Nortel’s patents that covers all Microsoft products and services, resulting from the patent cross-license signed with Nortel in 2006.”
http/www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/jul06/07-18UCGNortelPR.mspx

 

[bin1127]

it was either google or apple. I hope google gets them to stave off the apple lawsuits.

 

[WyomingKnott]

"The patent system should reward those who create the most useful innovations for society, not those who stake bogus claims or file dubious lawsuits. It's for these reasons that Google has long argued in favor of real patent reform, which we believe will benefit users and the U.S. economy as a whole."
Does this mean that Google is not going to sue any other company over IP, ever?

 

[rantoc]

[citation][nom]znegval[/nom]Bullshit. Google has proven over time that they don't want to join the patent trolling crap. This purchase was probably merely a defensive move.[/citation]

If Google indeed would engage in patent wars it would be a change from their usual subversive tactics (illegal information gathering ect). I doubt they only want to secure their ground, bet they rather use it as a persuation tool in closed room meetings.

 

[rhino13]

I don't like seeing Google have to invest in patents like this.
I'd far rather see them pouring money into their engineers who are working no their new OSes and other cool stuff. I guess this is the way of life. But I totally agree with Google in a lot of ways the patent system no longer rewards but hamstrings innovation

 

[Camikazi]

[citation][nom]rhino13[/nom]I don't like seeing Google have to invest in patents like this.I'd far rather see them pouring money into their engineers who are working no their new OSes and other cool stuff. I guess this is the way of life. But I totally agree with Google in a lot of ways the patent system no longer rewards but hamstrings innovation[/citation]
When patents like these go up for sale and the wrong company gets a hold of them it won't matter how much money Google puts into software if they are blocked by the patent holders. Someone is gonna buy these patents and we can only hope it's a company that understands that certain technologies are needed in order for innovation to continue and will allow them to be used freely. As far as these patents go the most likely buyers are probably MS, Apple or Google and we are all gonna suffer if Apple gets them so I am rooting for Google and hope they don't get greedy with them.