Google and Apple Could Battle it Out for Nortel 4G LTE Patents
Nortel Networks’ recent bankruptcy filing means about 4,000 of their patents are hitting the auction block, and in a dog eat dog world where the right patent could mean the difference between reaping the benefits of your hard work and paying out a settlement fee, it is no surprise that two tech giants could be interested in duking it out for a portion of the intellectual property. Google and Apple are said to be in the running for a group of Nortel patents related to Long-Term Evolution (LTE) wireless communications, the very technology that Verizon’s new 4G network is comprised of, and the same standard AT&T will deploy next year.
This is all according to JPMorgan, who also states, “we believe embattled vendors like [Nokia, Motorola and RIM] might find it difficult to cede these patents without a fight.” Who ends up with the patents at the end of the day could make for some interesting legal wrangling come next year, depending on what exactly the patents in question cover.
[via MobileBurn]