“Research In Motion’s dismal quarterly results, the latest in a string of disappointments by the BlackBerry maker, could prove a boon to prospective buyers eying its treasure trove of wireless patents,” Alastair Sharp and Sinead Carew report for Reuters.
“RIM’s shares took a beating on Friday, tumbling as much as 24 percent, a day after it reported earnings and issued an outlook that gave shareholders little reason to expect an imminent turnaround by the once proud Canadian technology giant,” Sharp and Carew report. “Even so, the battered stock price will burnish its allure as an acquisition target… While RIM has long been rumored to be in the sights of cash-rich Microsoft, that option became less likely with the software giant’s tie-up with Nokia. Many now point to a private sale as a way to take pressure of the Canadian company while it weighs its next move.”
Sharp and Carew report, “RIM’s patent portfolio would take on special interest in any calculation of RIM’s worth. Tech companies have become increasingly interested in controlling patents to ward off expensive infringement litigation. RIM has more than 2,000 patents filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and was a part of a consortium that nabbed a portfolio of patents from bankrupt Nortel Networks.”
Read more in the full article here.
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