Nortel, RIM held wireless patent talks - source

By Wojtek Dabrowski

TORONTO (Reuters) - BlackBerry maker Research In Motion has held talks with Nortel Networks on buying next-generation wireless patents that were not part of Nortel's $1.13 billion wireless asset sale on the weekend, a source familiar with the situation said on Monday.

On Saturday, bankrupt Nortel sold a portfolio of CDMA and next-generation LTE wireless assets to Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson.

However, Nortel and RIM have held negotiations on other key patents related to the next-generation wireless business "for months," the source told Reuters on Monday.

By trying to buy the LTE patents still held by Nortel, RIM is aiming to future-proof its business and avoid having to license the technology later from another company, said Research Capital analyst Nick Agostino.

"The opportunity is here now for them to own the ... hopefully material patents," Agostino said. "They can save on royalty costs and I think it's also going to be a benefit on the margins."

Nortel said it had no comment. RIM was not immediately available, but in a statement on Sunday it reiterated it "remains interested in acquiring certain Nortel assets," without providing specifics.

RIM's talks with Nortel are on hold and the Ericsson offer is awaiting court approval. However, the existence of the negotiations suggests RIM may be working to put together a deal with Nortel even though RIM claimed it was shut out of bidding on the assets that Nortel sold to Ericsson.

Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM had argued that Nortel's bidding process imposed unreasonable conditions and had effectively blocked RIM's own proposed $1.1 billion bid.