DOJ clears way for Apple-led purchase of Nortel patents

The Rockstar Consortium, a patent group co-owned by Apple, Microsoft, RIM, Ericsson, and Sony, has announced that the US Department of Justice waiting period for review of its proposed acquisition of a substantial majority of the former Nortel Networks patent portfolio has expired. The expiration clears the way for Rockstar to close the deal, giving Apple and its partners access to roughly 4,000 patent assets “spanning wireless, wireless 4G, data networking, optical, voice, Internet, service provider, semiconductors and other patents.” Rockstar won an auction for the patents last summer with a bid of $4.5 billion, $2.6 billion of which was provided by Apple.