Lenovo and NEC shake hands on patent deal
Lenovo Group, the Chinese company best known for making PCs, has bought more than 3,800 patent “families” from Japanese electronics company NEC Corporation.
The portfolio includes standard-essential patents for 3G and 4G mobile technologies, as well as patents covering technologies used in “many of today’s most advanced mobile products”, including smartphones, according to a statement.
“A strong patent portfolio is a key element for success in the smartphone business. This investment strengthens Lenovo’s existing intellectual property portfolio,” said Ira Blumberg, vice president of intellectual property at Lenovo.
“As Lenovo expands its mobile PC Plus business into new markets,” he added, “this investment shows it is committed to having the IP we need for global success.”
Lenovo said it will continue to acquire IP through its “own innovation and engineering, as well as from external sources” in order to support its PC Plus business, which includes smartphones and tablets.
There was no publicly-available statement from NEC.
