IBM hands over 217 patents to Google

Portfolio includes server, social networking and mobile patents

IBM has agreed to a deal that will see the company assign more than 200 patents to Google.

According to a report on search engine news blog SEO By the Sea that references US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) filings, IBM has agreed to give Google 188 granted patents and another 29 pending patent applications.

The patents include filings related to rendering pages, analysing large-scale indexes and operating voice over IP platforms. Others relate to voice-activated search and social-networking technologies.

Some of the patents address a number of issues related to mobile devices, such as rendering web pages for mobile devices, porting applications to mobile systems and mobile advertising tools.

The acquisition of mobile patents has become a top priority for Google in the face of mounting legal actions from rival vendors. Apple has been especially aggressive in this regard, launching legal battles against Android vendors such as Samsung and HTC.

The acquisition of intellectual property is believed to be a driving force behind some of Google's biggest strategic decisions in recent months. When the company announced its intent to acquire Motorola Mobility for $12.5bn, experts suggested a number a key patents were a major factor in the deal.

IBM refused to comment on the news when contacted by V3.