The Cupertino giant is strengthening its stance in the global patent wars

Nov 16, 2012 18:41 GMT  ·  By

KIPRA (Korea Intellectual Property Protection Association) has confirmed in a public announcement that Apple now owns the rights to 1,024 Rockstar Bidco patents.

According to Korea’s Yonhap News, Apple Inc. now owns a 58% stake in Rockstar Bidco, a consortium comprised of Microsoft, Sony, Research in Motion (RIM), and other technology leaders.

The Korean newspaper says that 695 of the 1,024 patents are currently registered with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The remaining 329 patented inventions are “in the process of being registered.”

The Korean news agency was unable to pinpoint the number of patents that actually relate to telecommunications, but it is believed that a great portion of them is tied to wireless technologies in one way or another.

It is being speculated that Apple’s acquisition of said patents is tied to the ongoing patent wars with rivals in the smartphone market.