Google has done a $900m bid is to obvious portfolio of Nortel Networks, the broke Canadian telecom apparatus maker.
The patents could help arm it against future lawsuits directed at its Chrome browser and Android mobile working system.
Patents are apropos rarely treasured pieces of egghead property.
Experts told the BBC they think the last cost could go good over $1bn and might be as high as $2bn.
The amount of allowance being put up illustrates how extreme the obvious wars have turn as companies similar to Apple, Google, Nokia and HTC turn inextricable in lawsuits.
Google is not assured that all the lawsuit is justified.
"The obvious network should bestow those who emanate the many utilitarian innovations for society, not those who interest fraudulent claims or record indeterminate lawsuits," mentioned Kent Walker broad give advice for Google in the firm's blog .
'If successful, you hope this portfolio will not usually emanate a disincentive for others to sue Google, but moreover help us, our allies and the open source residents - that is integrally entangled in projects similar to Android and Chrome - go on to innovate," he updated in a blog post.
Google's $900m bid is a "stalking equine item sale agreement" that means other companies meddlesome in the 6,000 patents on special discount have to put more allowance on the table.
The sale will add patents and obvious applications for wired, wireless and digital communications technology.
"This is an rare chance to pick up a of the many endless and convincing obvious portfolios to ever advance on the market," mentioned George Riedel, Nortel's arch plan officer.
Google has certified that it is lagging at the back other attention players such as Apple and Microsoft in conditions of the number of patents it holds.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office lists Google patents at 630, whilst Apple has over 3,800 and Microsoft has about 18,000.
"Google is a comparatively young company, and nonetheless you have a flourishing number of patents, many of our competitors have incomparable portfolios since their longer histories," mentioned Google's Mr Walker.
The internet hulk has moreover mentioned it faces a leading enlarge in lawsuit from supposed obvious trolls and attention competitors as it tries to blossom its Android mobile phone software, the increasingly renouned working network for handset manufacturers, carriers and program developers.
One of the more high-profile cases involves Oracle and relates to Java program used on the Android mobile device platform. Another involves Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen who is suing Google and 10 other companies for obvious infringement.
"In a few cases a few of those lawsuits, even even though they are couched as obvious transgression lawsuits that normally meant you are seeking for allowance from you, are not all they seem," mentioned Charles Golvin, principal researcher with Forrester Research.
"I think many of these lawsuits are meant to slow down enhancement mainly when they advance from a competitor."
Patent consultant Florian Mueller told BBC News that in the last 12 months, Google has faced 37 obvious lawsuits.
"It's not similar to Google could compromise the entire Android obvious complaint with a buy similar to this, no matter how large," mentioned Mr Mueller.
"They would need more such deals. The actual subject is because haven't they been shopping up patents similar to this at auction before now. They are forthcoming from at the back and it was truly foreseeable that they were getting in to Android. They have right away at last recognized that they contingency do something about their obvious weakness."
Nortel filed for failure in January 2009 and has been steadily selling off its properties to pay creditors.
Its obvious portfolio is the last poignant square of skill the firm has to sell and it is a that is approaching to capture a lot of bids as mobile gadgets turn ubiquitous.
Last month Microsoft offering to pay $7.5m for net addresses from Nortel.
Mr Mueller ventured that of the 6,000 patents on offer, a number of them will not be germane to Google's business but will provide utilitarian leverage.
"Assuming they pick up those patents, I think they will be absolute negotiate chips when it comes to cranky chartering negotiations with other companies in the telecom space who have patents that Google is meddlesome in.
"The worth to Google would be poignant in conditions of the worth it can remove from other companies and their patents," mentioned Mr Mueller.
He mentioned he believed the last cost is to portfolio will be "well north of $1bn". Other attention watchers have mentioned it could go as high as $2bn.
"The obvious fight is getting tougher and expensive," mentioned Francisco Jeronimo, researcher with IDC.
A preference on who will be awarded the portfolio will be done by a justice in June.
Bloomberg News mentioned that justice credentials showed Google will be paid a $25m break-up fee if other bidder wins the auction. The finding hulk is moreover on trial a settlement of as ample as $4m in expenses.
Hours after Google voiced its bid for Nortel's patents, Apple won a justice statute throwing out a $625.5m obvious transgression outcome over how documents are displayed on a P.C. screen.
Back in October, a jury mentioned Apple was infringing on 3 patents owned by Mirror Worlds LLC and awarded indemnification of $208.5m for any patent.
Apple argued in justice credentials that the amount was as well high. US District Judge Leonard Davis agreed.
"Mirror Worlds might have embellished an attractive photo of the jury, but it unsuccessful to lay a plain substructure sufficient to encouragement critical elements it was compulsory to settle beneath the law," he concluded.
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