Google-Motorola Deal Could Be Approved Next Week
Google's bid for Motorola will be approved by the U.S. Department of Justice, the Wall Street Journal reported today.
The Wall Street Journal, citing "people familiar with the matter," said the DOJ might approve the deal as early as next week.
The $12.5 billion deal is essential for Google's attempts to play defense in the mobile patent wars, as the DOJ is also likely to finally sign off on the results of the Nortel patent auction that kicked off Google's bid for Motorola. The DOJ plans to approve the $4.5 billion purchase of Nortel?s patent portfolio by a group of mobile companies that included Apple, Microsoft, and Research in Motion. Google had also offered $900 million for the patents in April, but it was not among the winning bidders.
Mobile rivals are already complaining that Google plans to uphold Motorola's patent-licensing strategies on what have been deemed essential patents by asking for a royalty rate above what they consider fair. The WSJ report said regulators will watch closely to see how Google uses the Motorola patents post-acquisition.
The $12.5 billion deal is essential for Google's attempts to play defense in the mobile patent wars, as the DOJ is also likely to finally sign off on the results of the Nortel patent auction that kicked off Google's bid for Motorola. The DOJ plans to approve the $4.5 billion purchase of Nortel?s patent portfolio by a group of mobile companies that included Apple, Microsoft, and Research in Motion. Google had also offered $900 million for the patents in April, but it was not among the winning bidders.
Mobile rivals are already complaining that Google plans to uphold Motorola's patent-licensing strategies on what have been deemed essential patents by asking for a royalty rate above what they consider fair. The WSJ report said regulators will watch closely to see how Google uses the Motorola patents post-acquisition.
