RE: Wi-LAN closes in on RIM excerpt...
2. Wi-LAN (TSX:WIN)
Number of Patents: 3000+
Ottawa’s Wi-LAN has quietly become one of the world’s top patent acquirers, on par or better than Apple, Google and Samsung in the third quarter of 2011. The company is now no stranger to patent infringement claims, having launched actions against dozens of multinationals, including Apple, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Sony and Toshiba. Calculating the number of patents the company holds has become something of a moving target, because they keep adding more. On October 1st, Wi-LAN acquired than 150 patents from broadband solutions provider Alvarion Ltd. (NASDAQ:ALVR) for $19 million. Byron Capital analyst Tom Astle says the company in the top five of all 4G patent holders worldwide.