Google-Motorolla deal likely to win US approval

The US Justice Department will probably approve Google’s bid for Motorola Mobility Holdings, Bloomberg News said, citing sources familiar with the deal.

Acquiring Motorola Mobility would reportedly give Google more than 17,000 patents for mobile-phone technology.

The department also will probably approve a plan by a consortium led by Microsoft and Apple to buy Nortel Network patents, the people said. That would give the consortium, which includes Research in Motion, Sony, Ericsson, and EMC, control of more than 6,000 patents and applications that cover wireless technologies.

Google’s $12.5 billion planned acquisition of Motorola Mobility is part of a trend of companies buying patents to defend themselves against intellectual-property suits.

The Motorola Mobility acquisition would make Google a competitor to the other handset makers that make Android devices.