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IBM caps two decades as heavyweight champion of the patent world
Thinking about beefing up your IP profile? Try giving IBM a call. For twenty consecutive years, it's been awarded more patents than any other company. According to IFI Claims Patent Services, IBM was issued 6,478 patents in 2012. To put things into perspective, its closest competitor, Samsung, trailed Big Blue by nearly 1,500 patents. No small wonder the company is the tech world's intellectual property broker. Some of the year's biggest patent warriors made the top 50 list too. Both Apple and Google's patent awards grew significantly over previous years, surpassing 2011's numbers by 68 and 170 percent, respectively. The house that T.J. Waston built, on the other hand, grew only a meager 4.8 percent. Still, with patents in health, banking, defense, social networking, cloud computing and beyond, IBM probably has a few years left at the top. Ever onward, IBM. Ever onward.
Kodak to sell the film business that made it so famous (update)
Kodak is selling off its renowned film arm in order to revive its moribund fortunes. It'll join sales of the company's patent portfolio, online gallery, commercial scanning, photo kiosk and theme park businesses so it can concentrate on a not-yet successful printer enterprise. It needs to raise more than $660 million to pay back creditors before it can emerge from Chapter 11, which it aims to do early next year -- but not in any form that we're likely to recognize. [Image Credit: MercerFilm] Update: The company got in touch to say that while those parts of the business are being put up for sale, manufacturing, sales and marketing of Kodak-branded film products (and motion picture products) will remain within the Eastman-Kodak company.
Judge rules against Apple in Kodak patent dispute, cites disruption to next week's auction
Is this Kodak's moment? It's sure shaping up to be, as Bloomberg reports the once prominent imaging company has just earned a slight, though significant courtroom victory against Apple. At stake is the ownership of ten patents related to digital imaging, two of which have been deemed incontestable by a Manhattan bankruptcy judge due to Cupertino's late stage ownership filing. Citing potential disruptions to next Wednesday's auction, Judge Gropper ruled against Apple's claims, while also striking down Kodak's request for a summary judgment on the eight remaining IPs and leaving the door open for further dispute. So, though it may seem like the Rochester-based company is finally out of the woods, this certainly isn't the end of its woes -- Apple has now filed counterclaims and is seeking a transfer of the case to district court. And if the House that Steve built's legal track record is any indication, it's not going down without an interminable fight.
Samsung swallows up CSR mobile and location patents for $310 million
The S-Wallet has opened and absorbed $310 million-worth of connectivity and location patents from British chip company CSR, which already supplies SiRF GPS chips to Galaxy devices. In addition to boosting its patent portfolio, Samsung also invested $34 million to buy a five percent stake in the firm itself, giving it access to a large development team working on audio, automotive, indoor location and other functions. The deal won't let Samsung use CSR's camera technology, but it will -- the Korean manufacturer says -- "solidify its position as a leading semiconductor solutions provider." Given how Sammy is already intent going it alone with its Exynos processors, we have no reason to doubt it.
Kodak gets the green light to sell digital imaging patents
It's been a long road for Kodak to get to this point, but it seems the floundering company has finally won approval to sell off its digital imaging patents. Over the objections of Apple and Flashpoint (nothing like kicking a company when its down), the Bankruptcy Court awarded Kodak the right to auction off its Digital Capture and Kodak Imaging Systems and Services (KISS) patent portfolios. While the challenges haven't been completely dismissed, the ruling provides an opportunity for the struggling Rochester firm to move ahead with its auction plans in the face of what it calls "baseless claims." Soon enough the bids for the rather sizable and valuable portfolios will start rolling in, and should provide Kodak with enough cash to keep its head above water for a little bit longer. For more detail, check out the PR after the break. [Image Credit: MercerFilm]
InterDigital sells nearly 2,000 wireless patents to Intel, pockets $375 million
InterDigital (we interviewed its CEO last week) is selling off around 1,700 wireless patents and applications to Intel for $375 million. The company is making good on its promise to monetize its vast portfolio of IP, including technologies relating to 3G, WCDMA, HSDPA, HUSPA, LTE and 802.11 WiFi connections. It's a short in the arm for Intel's burgeoning wireless arm, which recently outed its first handset, the San Diego. It'll also strengthen the hand of the company in any litigation relating to the technology should the lawyers come knocking. So far it's not clear if the company is retaining an interest in the files its sold off, but we've reached out for comment and will let you know when we do. Update: The company let us know that it's not retaining any interest in the patents that it's selling off. It also mentioned that the 1,700-strong portfolio equates to around eight percent of the company's overall IP holdings -- a number that it generates roughly every 18 months.
Kodak plans to sell off digital imaging patents
Kodak has filed proceedings to enable the bankrupt company to sell off its digital imaging patents. With a looming June 30th deadline in its lending agreement, the fallen camera maker is petitioning the court to approve a closed bids auction at a hearing on July 2nd. The company has broken the haul into two portfolios, one surrounding digital camera technology and the other concerning image analysis, manipulation and tagging. It's been pitching the pair around to various interested parties for the past year, with 20 companies reportedly registering an interest. If all is approved, the auction will be held in early August, with the winning bidder to be informed on the 13th of the month. The only question now is to wonder which industry values the portfolio more: the camera guys, or the cellphone guys. [Image Credit: MercerFilm]
Pegatron licenses Microsoft's patent portfolio for Android and Chrome devices
Microsoft may make a ton of money by selling Xboxes, operating systems, and other software to consumers, but it also pads its bottom line by monetizing its IP. Its newest patent profits will be coming from Pegatron Corp. -- a Taiwanese ODM that makes parts for a plethora of others, including Apple, ASUS and HP -- as the two companies have entered into a licensing agreement for devices running Android and Chrome OS. The agreement covers e-readers, smartphones and tablets, with Pegatron paying Redmond royalties of unknown amount. So, the Ballmer licensing bandwagon continues unabated, but we just hope all this new-found cash will be put to use creating fantastic new products instead of funding more courtroom conflicts.
IBM maintains top spot in global patent rankings, Canon overtakes Microsoft
IBM has been selling off a sizable number of its patents these past few months, but according to a new research report, the company still ended 2011 with the world's largest artillery. For the 19th straight year, IBM has come out on top of IFI Claims Patent Services' annual rankings of the world's top 50 US utility patent holders, with a record 6,180 patents. That's up five percent from 2010, though there are several contenders hot on its heels. Second-place Samsung saw an eight percent spike in its holdings, while Canon overtook Microsoft for third place, on the strength of an eleven percent year-on surge. Qualcomm, meanwhile, was among the biggest gainers, with a full 40 percent increase, along with RIM, which enjoyed 38 percent growth. Perhaps the biggest winner? The continent of Asia, where a full 25 of the top 50 companies are based. More numbers for your enjoyment after the break.
Google buoys its patent portfolio with 217 more filings acquired from IBM
It's not quite as big as some previous patent transactions between the two companies, but it looks like Google did a fair bit more shopping from IBM's vast portfolio at the tail-end of 2011. As noted by the SEO by the Sea blog, IBM transferred 188 granted patents and 28 published patent applications to Google during the last week of the year, including a number of patents related to phones and web browsers. Unfortunately, other key details like an acquisition price remain a mystery, but you can peruse some of the patents themselves at the source link below.
Sanjay Jha hints at Motorola's plans to collect patent royalties from Android competitors
If you haven't noticed, the mobile patent wars have been heating up lately, and Motorola hasn't exactly been sitting quietly on the sidelines. In the past year, the company's been in the courtroom with a number of major players, including Apple and Microsoft, and now the outfit seems poised to go after other Android handset makers. According to Unwired View, during a keynote speech at the Oppenheimer Technology and Communications conference, CEO Sanjay Jha signaled that Motorola could soon go on the offensive when it comes to the competition: I would bring up IP as a very important for differentiation (among Android vendors). We have a very large IP portfolio, and I think in the long term, as things settle down, you will see a meaningful difference in positions of many different Android players. Both, in terms of avoidance of royalties, as well as potentially being able to collect royalties. And that will make a big difference to people who have very strong IP positions. If Motorola does indeed intend to differentiate itself from its competitors by clutching tightly to its patent portfolio, could we soon see a replay of Microsoft's recent royalty collection binge? We'll just have to wait and see.
It's official: Nortel patent sale approved by US and Canadian courts (updated)
Nortel was just looking for some quick cash when the company put its 6,000 telecommunications patents up for auction. Then Google decided that IP would make a mighty fine troll deterrent, and started a crazy bidding war to get it. A coalition of the willing -- including Apple, EMC, Ericsson, Microsoft, RIM, and Sony -- opposed Big G and paid $4.5 billion for the prize portfolio pending approval by the powers that be. Well, both Canadian and US bankruptcy judges just gave the purchase two thumbs up, and the deal is officially done. Now the question is whether the auction's victors will use these patents as a shield against those with trollish intentions or as a sword to strike at their enemies? Update: To clarify, the deal was only approved by the bankruptcy courts, and the US DOJ is examining the sale for its possible anti-competitive effects.
HTC acquires S3 Graphics and its prodigious patent portfolio, dares you to sue
Flush with cash, but not a fan of spending it on litigation? We hear you, and apparently so does HTC. The Taiwanese firm announced today it'll purchase S3 Graphics and its patent portfolio from VIA for a cool $300 million, giving the smartphone maker 265 new weapons in its IP arsenal. Also part of the deal is a perpetual license to the patents' former owner, so that the chipset manufacturer can keep cranking out silicon without fear of legal reprisal. Given HTC's competitors recently went on a giant patent shopping spree, we'd surmise that strengthening its warchest is, dare we say, quietly brilliant.
Google to buy Modu patents, hopefully leave Nokia alone
It took complete failure to do it, but it looks like Modu founder Dov Moran finally found that new source of capital he went hunting for last November. In an effort to pay back creditors and unpaid wages, the firm's patent portfolio is slated to be snatched up by Google for roughly $4.8 million. What's Mountain View going to do with a mess of ultra-lite modular phone patents? It didn't come up, but we wouldn't be too surprised if it had something to do with its Danger-powered hardware wing and Android Open Accessory. Putting Modu to rest hasn't phased 'ol Dov, though; Israeli news source Calcalist reports that he's already invested three million smackers in a mysterious new start up -- about which Moran remains tight lipped. Goodnight, Modu; we'll always remember you as the audacious underdog who had the brass to tell Nokia to say their prayers.
Google bids $900 million for Nortel patent portfolio, will use it as shield against patent trolls (update)
Google and Nortel have agreed on the princely sum of $900 million to start off a "stalking horse" auction -- wherein outside parties are still free to outdo Google's bid -- for the acquisition of Nortel's rather vast patent portfolio. The sale comes as part of the latter company's bankruptcy selloff and involves some 6,000 patents and patent applications, which encompass both wired and wireless communications, semiconductors, data networking, voice, and the internet -- going so far as to even touch on web search and social networking. The thing is, Google's not really enamored with these tidbits of intellectual property to the tune of nearly a billion dollars. No sir, a rather bitter blog post from the company this morning makes it quite clear that Google's acting in order to bolster its own intellectual property library and to "create a disincentive for others to sue." Both Android and Chrome get obliquely mentioned in Google's announcement as benefiting from the move, which should be completed by June of this year pending other bids and regulatory approvals. Update: Microsoft has noted that it 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." That license will also transfer with the sale of the patent rights. All that means is that Microsoft cannot be sued for infringing on that bundle of rights as it is already licensed to use them. That means Microsoft is extremely unlikely to participate in this auction -- other than, of course, as a means to prevent others from obtaining the same rights.
Rumor: Apple bidding for Nortel patent assets
The formerly high-flying Canadian telecommunications hardware provider Northern Telecom appears to be on its last legs, and Apple and Google are apparently among the vultures circling overhead ready to pick at the most valuable parts of the carcass. The two Silicon Valley companies are said to be among the bidders for Nortel's huge patent portfolio. Nortel is a company with a history dating back to the earliest days of the telephone, having been established in 1882 by the Bell Telephone Company of Canada to manufacture phones and network equipment north of the border. In the 1990s, Nortel had tremendous growth as it provided many of the bits and pieces that made the expansion of the internet and mobile phone networks possible. The burst of the bubble saw the rapid decline of Nortel until it finally filed for bankruptcy protection in mid-2009. Nortel has a portfolio of over 4,000 patents estimated to be worth over $1 billion. With both Apple and Google involved in patent litigation relating to their respective mobile phone efforts, the Nortel patents are likely be of great value as a defensive measure. Research in Motion and Motorola are also expected to bid on the patents in order to protect their own positions. Intellectual property battles between big companies often end up in a stalemate if both sides can conjure up sufficient patents that their opponent might be infringing on. The result is usually some sort of cross-licensing agreement that makes the lawyers wealthier and lets the companies go on their merry way. The auction of the patents is expected to be wrapped up soon. [via MacRumors]
Palm also looking at licensing webOS and / or finding new investors
Although we've got the feeling that Palm will eventually be sold off, apparently that's not the only option on the table: Reuters and Street Insider have followed up last night's news that Palm is up for sale with some more details, including the revelations that Cisco is an interested buyer and Palm is also considering licensing webOS and / or seeking an additional infusion of cash from an outside investor. We're at all sure who'd be willing to join Bono's Elevation Partners in pumping more cash into Palm as it stands right now, but we can certainly see the company loosening the strings and licensing webOS to other manufacturers, something it did with great success back in the Palm OS days. Of course, that success eventually led to a string of terrible business decisions and the brink of failure, from upon which Palm has never returned, but hey -- at least it's familiar territory, right? Sigh. In other news, Palm CTO Mitch Allen is scheduled to talk about Palm's patent strategy next month, and the press release announcing his talk straight-up values the company's IP portfolio at $8-$9 a share, or around a billion and a half dollars. If that's true, it means anyone buying Palm at today's closing price and market cap of $6 and $1.01b would be getting a nice little discount -- which is probably why bids are expected to come in this week. We'll see what goes down; it looks like most of you agree with us that HTC would be a terrific match here, but anything can happen. Stay tuned.
