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Nathan Myhrvold Part of Transmeta Sale

Both Intel and AMD have licensed Transmeta's widgetry
By Maureen O'Gara
Article Rating:
December 1, 2008 11:40 AM EST
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 3,928

Nathan Myhrvold's Intellectual Ventures (IV), the great patent vacuum, has a piece of Novafora's deal to buy Transmeta, according to a filing dropped off with the SEC.

IV was apparently there at the bargaining table with Novafora, which makes digital video processors. It's putting $11.6 million towards the $255.6 million purchase price in exchange for some kind of rights to Transmeta's low-power silicon patents, perhaps so IV can protect one of its investors.

Remember now that $255.6 mil is about what Transmeta has in the bank and both Intel and AMD have licensed Transmeta's widgetry.

Published December 1, 2008 – Reads 3,928
Copyright © 2008 SYS-CON Media, Inc. — All Rights Reserved.
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Maureen O'Gara the most read technology reporter for the past 20 years, is the Cloud Computing and Virtualization News Desk editor of SYS-CON Media. She is the publisher of famous "Billygrams" and the editor-in-chief of "Client/Server News" for more than a decade. One of the most respected technology reporters in the business, Maureen can be reached by email at maureen(at)sys-con.com or paperboy(at)g2news.com, and by phone at 516 759-7025. Twitter: @MaureenOGara

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rzcashman 12/01/08 05:40:40 PM EST

I'll be the first one to cry foul once someone does something wrong with the patent system, but as things stand, I have to object to the tone of your calling IV a "patent vacuum" along with any implications of wrongdoing just because they had a strong part in the Transmeta transaction. Transmeta has many patents, and there was nothing other than good business sense for them to be at the table. If you or I had the opportunity to be in their shoes, there is no denying that we would have certainly been there too. If you object to their size, their vast patent holdings, and/or the power and responsibility that they wield, that is a separate issue.