Google on patent buying spree

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 29 (UPI) -- U.S. Internet giant Google said it is on a buying spree for patents that are seen as a way for a company to protect itself from lawsuits.

In a statement, Google said, "Like many tech companies, at times we'll acquire patents that are relevant to our business needs."

The statement from a Google spokesman said, "Bad software patent litigation is a wasteful war that no one will win," the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

The simple point is that technology companies are often on similar research-and-development paths, working on a variety of projects, and lawsuits over patent infringements are expensive and common. One way to stop or win a lawsuit is by taking possession of whatever patent is in debate.

In July, the newspaper said, Google did just that, buying more than 1,000 patents from IBM.

Not long prior to that, Google was outbid in a huge auction of about 6,000 patents owned by bankrupt telecommunications company Nortel Networks.

A consortium of businesses, including Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Research in Motion, makers of the BlackBerry phone, put in the top bid for Nortel's patents, a trove so impressive it was referred to as one of Canada's national treasures.