Microsoft Fighting To Ensure Google Does Not Gain Patent Leverage, Deterrence

A week and a half ago, a report said that while the U.S. Department of Justice was looking into the bidding over the Nortel wirelesspatents, they were unlikely to object to Google winning the rights to them. But a new opponent to Google's bid has arisen. And it's a familiar foe: Microsoft. Specifically, Microsoft is objecting to Google being able to purchase the over 6,000 patents without recognizing Microsoft's existing licensing agreements on the patents, Reuters reports . As we noted a week and a half ago, these licensing agreements were precisely why Microsoft was the one obvious bidder not competing for the patents — they didn't think they had to. But the current terms for the winner of the auction doesn't back up that argument. As of right now, the company that wins the bidding would be able to terminate existing agreements.