Rockstar Consortium

Rockstar Consortium (also known as Rockstar Bidco) was a consortium of several high-profile technology companies, including Apple, Microsoft, BlackBerry, Ericsson, and Sony. The consortium was formed in 2011 to collectively purchase and manage a portfolio of patents from the bankrupt Nortel.

History

Rockstar Consortium was formed in 2011, following the bankruptcy of Canadian telecommunications company Nortel. The consortium successfully bid $4.5 billion for a portfolio of approximately 6,000 patents and patent applications covering a wide range of technologies, including wireless, wireless 4G, data networking, optical, voice, internet, service provider, semiconductors, and other patent portfolios.

Activities

The primary activity of Rockstar Consortium was to manage and license the patent portfolio it acquired from Nortel. The consortium also engaged in litigation to enforce its patent rights. In 2013, it filed lawsuits against several companies, including Google, Samsung, HTC, and Huawei, alleging infringement of some of its patents.

Dissolution

In 2014, Rockstar Consortium sold a portion of its patent portfolio to RPX Corporation, a firm that helps companies mitigate patent-related risk. The remaining patents were distributed to the consortium's member companies. Following this, Rockstar Consortium was dissolved.

Impact

The formation of Rockstar Consortium and its subsequent activities had a significant impact on the technology industry. It highlighted the importance of patents in the industry and the lengths that companies are willing to go to protect their intellectual property. The consortium's legal actions also contributed to ongoing debates about patent reform and the role of patent assertion entities.

See also

• Patent troll
• Intellectual property
• Patent war