InterDigital Inc (IDCC)

[The Count]

IDCC may have set a minimum bid amount

That may be where the $5 billion number that came out with the story of Samsung pulling out of the auction. It's possible that IDCC set a threshold for any bids and it was more than Samsung was willing to pay.

IDCC should have one amount in mind, and that is the minimum price they will accept. If no one is willing to pay that amount, they don't sell. Otherwise, it goes to the highest bidder. It doesn't matter what metric IDCC or anyone else can come up with for a valuation. All that matters is what someone is willing to pay right now.

Nortel got a great price for their patents because a bidding war broke out as companies were bidding not only to get the patents, but to keep them away from others. Since then, Google bought MMI. That has changed the game. How, I am not sure. If there are two companies, or even better, consortiums, that want IDCC, then we can get a great buyout and the minimum amount won't be a factor.

Values can change very fast - it's all about supply and demand. When Google had nothing, their demand was very high, and their competitors had high demand to keep Google from getting them. I sincerely hope there are multiple companies that see great value in IDCC.