Patents have been a very major part of the stories that make news in the mobile phone world. And a recent report by IFI placed IBM as the number one spot holder with 6180 patents. Samsung came close second with 4894. We remember Google acquiring Motorola for the same patents. And Nokia just sold 450 of them.
Nokia is selling 47 patent families to Sisvel, a company who’se slogan is “We protect ideas” and indeed they buy the patents and wait in stealth suing the air out of any company that infringes them. The patent acquiry by Sisvel gives them access to around 450 patents previously held by Nokia. 33 of the said patent families are essential to 2G, 3G and 4G technologies according to Nokia. Makes you wonder what Stephen Elop and Nokia are planning.
Here is the whole Press Sisvel Release:
Sisvel International announced today that it has acquired 47 patent families comprised of more than 450 patents and applications originally filed by Nokia.
The patents and patent applications cover technologies used in a wide range of mobile communications devices and services. Thirty-three of the patent families, consisting of more than 350 patents and applications, have been declared essential by Nokia to second, third and fourth-generation communications standards, including GSM (Global Systems for Mobile communications), UMTS/WCDMA (Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service / Wide-Band Code Division Multiple Access) and LTE (Long Term Evolution). The balance of the portfolio consists of implementation patents including video encoding optimization technologies. The acquired patents remain subject to certain prior agreements and Nokia is licensed under the portfolio as part of the acquisition.
“Sisvel has been extremely active in recent years working with the wireless industry to provide simplified access to essential wireless patents on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory, or FRAND, conditions,” said Giustino de Sanctis, CEO of Sisvel International. Mr. de Sanctis also explained that “Acquiring the many essential patents in this key portfolio is a very significant step for Sisvel and a testament to Sisvel’s commitment and determination to succeed in this space. We look forward to offering these essential patents on FRAND terms and to continuing our work within the wireless industry.”
