Last month, it was reported that Apple and Google were considering bidding to acquire mobile technology firm InterDigital, primarily for the firm's portfolio of over 8,800 patents and 9,700 pending patent applications. InterDigital had decided to explore potential strategic moves for itself, including potential sale of the company, and the company had drawn significant interest due to the current landscape of patent disputes in the mobile industry.

interdigital logo
With Google on Monday announcing its intent to acquire Motorola Mobility, a move which will add 17,000 patents and another 7,500 pending patent applications to Google's portfolio, InterDigital's stock dropped 20% due to Google presumably dropping out of the bidding and general fears that the patent arms race might subside as the major players fill out their portfolios to keep each other at bay.

But Reuters reports that Apple is indeed still interested in InterDigital, and is considering making a bid to acquire the company. Other firms said to be interested in InterDigital include Nokia and Qualcomm.

Apple Inc (AAPL.O), Nokia (NOK1V.HE) and Qualcomm Inc (QCOM.O) are among several telecom and technology companies weighing bids for InterDigital Inc (IDCC.O), which specializes in wireless communications technologies, sources familiar with the situation said.

InterDigital is up for sale and is forging ahead with its auction despite a setback on Monday when Google Inc (GOOG.O), one of the key potential bidders, struck another deal.

The report notes that Google has not formally withdrawn from the InterDigital auction, although it is unclear whether it will participate in the bidding after committing $12.5 billion to the Motorola Mobility purchase.

Update: Reuters has posted an updated version of the article, noting that the auction of InterDigital has been postponed from next week until after Labor Day, which pushes it into early September at the earliest. Potential first-round bidders have reportedly been asking for more time to conduct due diligence on the company, accounting for the delay, but InterDigital is said to be hoping to accelerate the second round of the auction in order to keep moving forward in a timely manner.

Tag: Reuters

Top Rated Comments

Torrijos Avatar
165 months ago
Apple has a track record of suing others for patent infringement to reduce competition, Google doesn't.
Really? :D
To reduce competition... :eek:

It has nothing to do with Apple defending innovations they brought to consumers after years of R&D, that, the then moribund company, spent lot of cash on.

This is actually what patents were created for...
So companies would invest in R&D to improve the current state of technology, then release new products that others companies (you know the ones that were trying to sell you 80x80 monochromes phones a couple of years ago, or the ones that felt that a blackberry "open source" clone was the future of mobile phones) would end up copying. Patents forcing them to license the patented innovations so the company that did the hard work (:apple:) could reap what they sowed.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rdowns Avatar
165 months ago
Apple has a track record of suing others for patent infringement to reduce competition, Google doesn't.


So Apple is wrong because they are playing the game and defending their patents?

Google doesn't have many patents for their Android business. Instead, they use their windfall profits in search/advertising to try and crush other companies businesses as they try to find alternate revenue streams.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Brad L Avatar
165 months ago
Damn, I sold this stock about 6 years ago :(
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TMay Avatar
165 months ago
Apple's pimping Google again

And that makes Oracle and MS chuckle. Samsung looks with envy.

Apple or MS will buy this just so Google will go all crazy and throw another $12B on a bad investment.

You know, like Motorola.

Desperation.

It's what happens when a Company doesn't have a strategic plan for the future other than "more advertising please".
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jibbajabba Avatar
165 months ago
Wow. You actually welcome Apple spending money on law suits instead of products?



Do you not see his emoticon? It was sarcastic.

^^ that ;)
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ulf1103 Avatar
165 months ago
They are buying up patents so they can sue competitors instead of competing against them with better products so I'd say it would be negative for product development.

Yes, but if Apple don't buy it, and Google does, Google will probably use it against Apple right? Or not? :confused:
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

Apple Releases Revised Versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 With Updated Build Number

Wednesday March 27, 2024 5:59 am PDT by
Apple on late Tuesday released revised versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 with an updated build number of 21E237, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The updates previously had a build number of 21E236. The revised updates are available for all iPhone and iPad models that are compatible with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but they can only be installed via the Finder app on macOS...
applephilschiller

Apple's Phil Schiller Works 80 Hours a Week Overseeing App Store

Wednesday March 27, 2024 2:03 pm PDT by
With the App Store and app ecosystem undergoing major changes in the European Union, The Wall Street Journal today shared a profile on App Store chief Phil Schiller, who is responsible for the App Store. Though Schiller transitioned from marketing chief to "Apple Fellow" in 2020 to take a step back from Apple and spend more time on personal projects and friends, he is reportedly working...
maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
iphone 16 dummies

iPhone 16 Dummy Models Showcase Design Changes, New Buttons

Tuesday March 26, 2024 6:03 am PDT by
Images comparing purportedly accurate dummy models of the iPhone 16 series have been shared online, providing a closer look at the rumored design of the upcoming devices. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are expected to get larger display sizes this year, according to multiple sources, while the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will be the same size as the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. ...