U.S. Steps Up Probe of Nortel Patent Deal

Apparently the U.S. Justice Department thinks there might be anti-competitive implications in the recent sale of Nortel patents to a consortium of firms including Apple, Microsoft and Research in Motion, the Wall Street Journal reports.

A consortium of six companies last month paid $4.5 billion to acquire a portfolio of 6,000 patents auctioned by the bankrupt Canadian telecom equipment maker Nortel Networks Corp. Google had made an initial bid of $900 million.

The Wall Street Journal says some observers were "stunned" at the sales price, which has raised Justice Department concern about what return the bidders expect on the investment.

U.S. Steps Up Probe of Nortel Patent Deal - WSJ.com (subscription required)

Recently, some Android handset manufacturers reportedly have agreed to pay Microsoft $5 per device in licensing fees, perhaps raising speculation that Google's rivals think they can impose more costs on Android handset manufacturers. http://ipcarrier.blogspot.com/2011/07/patent-issues-for-android-growing.html.

The Nortel patents cover an extensive array of mobile-related functions, especially related to fourth-generation mobile networks and devices, apparently. http://ipcarrier.blogspot.com/2011/05/nortel-nears-libuidation.html