Intel has agreed to buy about 190 patents from RealNetworks as part ofa deal worth $120m (£76m).
The sale also includesa further 170 patent applications anda commitment to co-develop and share RealNetworks' video encoding software.
Intel says the deal will help it offer "exciting video experiences" on devices using its chips.
Industry insiders say the move undermines recent reports that "the patent bubble" may have burst.
The agreement has been struck againsta backdrop ofa rising number of lawsuits fought by tech companies accusing each other of infringing their intellectual property.
Recent weeks have seen legal actions filed by Motorola Mobility against Apple, Apple against Samsung, and British Telecom against Google, amongst others.
A victory can allowa company to demanda sales ban of its rivals' products, or force the loser to pay expensive licence fees.
By purchasing part of RealNetwork's library Intel buys itself protection against claims from other firms on the purchased video technologies, and can potentially block rivals using the same techniques.
"The planned acquisition... includes foundational media and other patents, expanding Intel's diverse patent portfolio and strengthening ...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16746971
The sale also includesa further 170 patent applications anda commitment to co-develop and share RealNetworks' video encoding software.
Intel says the deal will help it offer "exciting video experiences" on devices using its chips.
Industry insiders say the move undermines recent reports that "the patent bubble" may have burst.
The agreement has been struck againsta backdrop ofa rising number of lawsuits fought by tech companies accusing each other of infringing their intellectual property.
Recent weeks have seen legal actions filed by Motorola Mobility against Apple, Apple against Samsung, and British Telecom against Google, amongst others.
A victory can allowa company to demanda sales ban of its rivals' products, or force the loser to pay expensive licence fees.
By purchasing part of RealNetwork's library Intel buys itself protection against claims from other firms on the purchased video technologies, and can potentially block rivals using the same techniques.
"The planned acquisition... includes foundational media and other patents, expanding Intel's diverse patent portfolio and strengthening ...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16746971
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