Google agreed to purchase Motorola Mobility earlier this week, cementing the company as an Android-only manufacturer.

Following the move, Jeffries & Co. analyst Peter Misek has sent a note to investors predicting that Apple will "strike back" at Google by buying out patents belonging to Nokia, RIM, or InterDigital.

Patently dangerous

Misek has identified 500 3G and 4G patents which he considers “essential” to Motorola’s portfolio. He speculates that each patent is worth around $20 million, considering how much Google paid for the company.

Apple itself is involved in alleged intellectual property infringement patent lawsuits with rivals such as HTC, Motorola, Samsung, Nokia, and Kodak.

Misek believes the company will seek to acquire "wireless patents that are truly essential and part of the standards".

Tower defence

Of Nokia alone, Misek considers there to be "at least 50 essential 4G patents and likely over 100 essential 3G patents" of interest.

Meanwhile, Google CEO Larry Page admitted in his company blog that part of the reasoning behind the Motorola deal was to defend Android against legal attacks.

So far Apple has given no indication that it plans to engage in buyouts.

[source: Apple Insider]