It's a shame google didn't snatch up Palm back before HP did (<$2b vs >$12B). Looks like Motorola has a larger portfolio, but size isn't everything. I suspect Palm's portfolio might have even been a better defense for dramatically less money.
Quote:
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“Based on our metrics, the value of Palm’s intellectual property is along the same order of magnitude as Apple,” he said. “The market is overlooking the IP value in Palm, which has great value.”
PatentVest, based in Santa Monica, Calif., scores the value of a company’s IP portfolio in many ways. These include looking at how often a company’s patents are cited by other companies.
Companies must cite pre-existing patents similar to their own in the pre-approval process for patent acceptance. The more times a company’s patents are cited, the more likely it is that those patents are of high value, Mazzarella says. Such patent echoes are also an indication that the companies share similar interests.
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On a non-IP note, I wonder if this move will result in more vanilla android and better OS upgrade turnaround. Even if Google keeps their word to not give Motorola preferential treatment, that doesn't mean Motorola can't be ordered to give consumers better guarantees on upgrades. Which might lead non-goog manufacturers to do the same to compete.