Google-Motorola Acquisition Reportedly Close to EU, U.S. Approval

Google has been trying to acquire Motorola Mobility and its thousands of patents for months. Soon, according to a Reuters report, the acquisition should receive approved from the European Commission and U.S. Justice Department. A decision about whether to approve the deal or ask for more review is expected as early as Monday.

Even so, Google has to wait for approval from China, which can string the process out for months if it so chooses.

Assuming the deal does work out, Google will snag a small mountain of patents; in today’s tech world, where companies sue each other for alleged patent infringement with astounding frequency, the guy that has the patents has the power. Not only can a company sue another company for violating a patent, the patent holder can charge fees for licensing the technology.

However, according to Reuters, Google has promised to keep licensing fees low--2.25% of the price of each device--so as long as Google holds to its corporate mantra of “don’t be evil”, the Motorola acquisition should work out just fine for consumers and competitors alike.