Google purchases Modu’s patent portfolio for $4.9million

Modu, the Israel-based company known for the creation of their tiny, modular phones went broke earlier this year, but its patents were put up for auction that companies have been bidding for. Today it’s been reported that Google has managed to outbid the competition and have snapped up all of the company’s patents for $4.9 million.

It hasn’t been made publicly known why Google has been so keen in their patents, but it certainly has to be Android related. Modu might have some patents that could help Google out of any patent lawsuits filed by other companies or Google could decide to use Modu’s designs or technology in their own phones in the future. Or maybe they just felt like helping the company clear some of its debt.

Either way, Google now owns the patents that would allow them to make mini modular phones. Perhaps we’ll see a resurrection of the Modu T or Modu W in the future? Stay tuned.

George Wong
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: Android, Google, modu, Patent