Quarterhill Inc T.QTRH

Big deal / will Apple buy Wilan ?

[Triggerman]

More big deals to come , the primary reason I hold long term is the acquisitions, and I'm pleased they have taken their time and made the right deals at the right time.  

A small part of me thinks instead of paying up and having the negative PR associated with losing in court and being a company that infringes patents , Apple just buys the entire Wilan patent portfolio .    Thoughts ?

[IPGutcsi]

This was and still is the narrative that makes the most sense to me... Apple settlement is a purchase of WiLAN.  

[whaler83]

Apple would rather everyone know that they battled Wilan for years and lost than have everyone think they could start a litigation against them and end up with them buying your company. its all about face for Apple and that face it that they will not take kindly to patent holders that bring on lawsuits. They dont care about the cost.

[IPGutcsi]

I disagree, but for the same reason you mentioned below... Apple wants to save face... let's face it their products are no longer revolutionary and so any bad publicity is going to negatively affect their $3T evaluation... I think it makes the most strategically sense to buy up the patent holder to your future products!  

[cabbieJBJ]

IPGutcsi, the last of IP in question expires tomorrow. Furthermore, Apple has not even acknowledged the IP reads beyond iPhones 6/7. It may read on 8/X, as Apple offered that during some early mediation if Wilan accepted Apple's pennies per unit rate, but subsequently took it off the table. Lastly, what ever would Apple do with the IP monetization partnerships that dorm the core of Wilan's

[whaler83]

Perhaps, i just think if they do buy Wilan it will be hidden behind some sort of private equity somehow and the market would not be the wiser.

[wilander]

I dont think Apple gives a damn what anyone else thinks aymore. lol. If buying Wilan solves their problem -- and QRTH has now officially made that a possibility with the announcement Wilan s up for sale -- they will do it.

[astutein]

wilander-  What makes you think wilan is  their problem? Apple has market value of 33.27 billion and Wilan is so minor to them. . I agree with position that  Apple will not buyout suing authority to get rid of them as not Apple's way of doing business ..  

[cabbieJBJ]

I agree astutein.  Wilan is but a pimple on the a$$ of progress to Apple. In the end, who cares who buys Wilan as long as it's for a fair price and the check clears the bank.

[Lazaros]

Astutein, Apple's market valus is MUCH higher than 33.27 billion. Also, to add to the conversation, Apple could have bought WIN for ~$1.30 at the low a couple of years ago (when we discussed this very same topic) but didn't. Why pay more now?

[Lagger95]

"They dont care about the cost." Seems to me the cost is going down the longer they fight. Lawyers fees are negligible to a company like Apple. No penalties. What do they care how long it drags? Good deal for them.

[cabbieJBJ]

Lagger, I think it is non productive to spend much time on the Wilan business at this point.  It's in the hands of the BoD, Kidd and the investment bankers.  The divestiture outcome will be what it will be.  

[Lagger95]

I would agree it will what it will be, as Wilan has been taken out of the mix. Completely different company. We go from here. 

[cabbieJBJ]

IPGutcsi, I'm in Whaler's camp. I can't identify once where Apple has bought a company that is siing them over patents. He'll, they're on the hook for over a billion with VirnetX and continue to fight court awards. As much as I like your idea, it simply is not in Apple's play book.

[IPGutcsi]

Don't let the past cloud a realistic vision for the future... things change, just because an action like this wasn't in a companies playbook in the past, doesn't dictate what they will do in the future... the globally there is a shift to focus more on attention on patent protections... China, EU, UK, USA and others are pivoting towards more scrutiny of big tech...  

[cabbieJBJ]

QTRH has hung out the FOR SALE sign on Wilan. I' be pleased if Apple's a bidder. Make 'er happen Timmy.

[mrmoribund]

I agree that buying Wilan would, in principle, not be in Apple's playbook. That said, they'll do it if they believe that the downside in NOT doing it is ugly enough. It won't do much to scare patent holders away if Apple gets repeatedly tarred and feathered by the courts. They will rationally look at the upside and downside of each option--both the financial upside/downside and

[cabbieJBJ]

mrmoribund, your last paragraph identifies precisely what is for sale through the strategic review. We'll said.

[cabbieJBJ]

mrmoribund, hair trigger o the send button. I meant to add that there is no doubt in my mind that the Apple situation will be largely resolved before the strategic review is complete. Could be wrong, but that's my view. In the end, I could care less who buys Wilan so long as the BoD process leads to the best possible outcome for QTRH.