Nortel has announced that it has sold its pile of patents for $4.5 billion. “The sale includes more than 6,000 patents and patent applications spanning wireless, wireless 4G, data networking, optical, voice, internet, service provider, semiconductors and other patents. The extensive patent portfolio touches nearly every aspect of telecommunications and additional markets as well, including Internet search and social networking.” Google’s attempt to buy these patents failed; they have gone to a consortium made up of Apple, EMC, Ericsson, Microsoft, Research In Motion and Sony. It’s not hard to image unpleasant things resulting from that.
Read more at LWN
