What's Fueling the Tech Patent Bull Market?"In July, a consortium led by Microsoft, Apple and wireless industry players such as Research in Motion paid $4.5 billion for 6,000 patents from the now liquidated networking company Nortel. Last month, Google purchased Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion, in part to gain access to the company’s 17,000 patents. And Eastman Kodak, a company struggling to navigate the digital era, has multiple parties bidding to buy its patent portfolio.
"Welcome to the patent bull market. 'There is clearly a patent-hoarding mentality in technology — and in mobile communications, specifically,' says Andrea Matwyshyn, a professor of legal studies and business ethics at Wharton. 'The game is to amass as many patents as you can.' "
Knowledge@Wharton, September 14, 2011