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Google To Acquire Motorola Mobility For $12.5 Bill

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the didn't-see-that-coming dept.

zacharye writes "Google and Motorola Mobility have announced an agreement whereby Google will acquire Motorola for $12.5 billion. The acquisition price equates to $40 per share of Motorola stock, or a premium of 63% over Friday's closing price. The move is considered to be an effort that will better-align Google to compete with Apple's iPhone, which currently owns two-thirds of profits among the world's top-8 smartphone vendors..." That's one way to stop royalty payments.

7 of 578 comments (clear)

  1. Reactions from other Android Manufacturers by Arch_Android · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://www.google.com/press/motorola/quotes/
    Most seem happy enough.

  2. patent shield by tero · · Score: 5, Informative

    From the Google press release:

    We recently explained how companies including Microsoft and Apple are banding together in anti-competitive patent attacks on Android. The U.S. Department of Justice had to intervene in the results of one recent patent auction to âoeprotect competition and innovation in the open source software communityâ and it is currently looking into the results of the Nortel auction. Our acquisition of Motorola will increase competition by strengthening Googleâ(TM)s patent portfolio, which will enable us to better protect Android from anti-competitive threats from Microsoft, Apple and other companies.

    Motorola and Nokia are the two leading patent holders within mobile business, so this is potentially a very good opportunity for Google to use that portfolio as a litigation shield and helping to keep Android (litigation) free.

  3. Motorolas patents are belong to google by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    Google is poisitioning itself to get more involved in the patent fights:

    "Our acquisition of Motorola will increase competition by strengthening Google’s patent portfolio, which will enable us to better protect Android from anti-competitive threats from Microsoft, Apple and other companies."

    http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/supercharging-android-google-to-acquire.html

  4. Re:is it just me by royallthefourth · · Score: 2, Informative

    He's making a Slashdot comment, not a synthesizer

  5. Re:Didn't see this one coming by GIL_Dude · · Score: 3, Informative

    At least Google is unlikely to cruft up stock Android too heavily.

    True, but looking at my new Droid 3 from Motorola - Motorola didn't cruft it up much. They put Blur and Motoprint on it. Verizon crufted the hell out of it. Enough to make me get my rant on here about it: http://gildude.blogspot.com/2011/08/call-to-action-for-verizon-and-motorola.html. Of course, if we just get rid of Blur and maybe the locked bootloader that will be enough of a win. But it would be great to get back to Google Experience Devices that don't have all the carrier garbage on them to begin with.

  6. Re:is it just me by AliasMarlowe · · Score: 4, Informative

    I dunno, did you just multiply the wave function by its complex conjugate?

    He's making a Slashdot comment, not a synthesizer

    And a big WHOOSH to you, too.

    --
    Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. - Voltaire
  7. Re:Easy way to increase production by yeshuawatso · · Score: 3, Informative

    There are specific exclusions for DOD or any government contract that allow electronics to NOT be required to be made in the USA.(read the FAR guidelines)