Lenovo buys mobile patents in $100m deal

Firm strikes agreement with US firm Unwired Planet

Lenovo has announced a deal worth $100m to purchase a wealth of patents relating to mobile technology, just two months after it splashed out nearly $3bn for mobile phone maker Motorola.

Lenovo bought the patents from a firm called Unwired Planet, a US-based firm specialising in mobile patent technologies. As part of the deal it will also license the use of other patents within Unwired Planet's portfolio, the firm said.

The deal covered a total of 21 patent families developed by Unwired Planet, including some relating to 3G and LTE mobile technology. It also included other mobility patents, details of which were not made public.

The general counsel for Lenovo Jay Clemens said the deal was key for the firm to enable it to develop new products and capabilities without the risk of litigation.

"This investment is an extension of Lenovo's existing intellectual property portfolio," he said. "It will serve the company well as we grow and develop our worldwide smartphone and mobile PC Plus business in new markets."

The deal is expected to close in 30 days, the firms said.

Lenovo's move to acquire more patents in the mobile market comes just a few weeks after the firm agreed a deal to acquire Motorola from Google, underlining its desire to strengthen its position in the mobile market.

The importance of a strong patent portfolio in the mobile market is vital, as demonstrated by numerous legal spats between warring vendors. This has seen Apple, Samsung, Nokia, Microsoft and HTC all caught up in various legal wranglings over patents.