Intel (INTC) announced early on Thursday, August 19th, that is purchasing security firm McAfee (MFE) for $7.68 billion in a cash transaction.
This represents a 60% premium to McAfee's closing share price on August 18th and fundamentally changes the information security landscape.
Categories: Patent Strategy, Patent Analysis, M&A
Last week peHUBwire reported on the biggest U.S. IPO of the year, digital whiteboard maker Smart Technologies Inc (SMT). The Calgary, Alberta-based company sold 38.83 million shares for $17 each raising about $660.11 million. Pre-IPO shareholders include funds associated with Apax Partners, chipmaker Intel Corp and IFF Holdings Inc.
M86Security has filed a patent lawsuit in Delaware against McAfee, Symantec, Webroot Software, Websense and Sophos alledging infringement of two "hostile downloadables" patents owned by Finjan Software. Representing M86Security is Philip A. Rovner of Potter Anderson and Corroon LLP and Paul J. Andre of King and Spaulding. Finjan was acquired by M86Security in November 2009. M86Security describes itself as "... the largest provider of Secure Web Gateways and the largest independent provider of Web and e-mail content security in the world. Four leading technology companies have merged to become a full-service, single source provider of Web and e-mail gateway security, encryption and DLP solutions."
The Lemelson-MIT Awards Committee today announced that Carolyn Bertozzi of the UC-Berkeley Department of Chemistry is the 2010 Winner of the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize.
According to The Lemelson-MIT Program the Prize "recognizes individuals who translate their ideas into inventions and innovations that improve the world in which we live....Dubbed the "Oscar for Inventors," the Lemelson-MIT Prize is awarded to outstanding mid-career inventors, who have developed a patented product or process of significant value to society, which has been adopted for practical use, or has a high probability of being adopted."
Professor Bertozzi's group "studies cell surface interactions that contribute to human health and disease with specific projects in the areas of cancer, inflammation and bacterial infection. We use the techniques of organic synthesis, genetics and biochemistry as tools to study and manipulate complex cellular processes."
Ellen Rosen of Bloomberg Businessweek reported today that Microsoft paid $200 million to settle patent litigation brought by VirnetX Holdings Corporation in February 2007. VirnetX alleged that Microsoft infringed two VirnetX U.S. patents that covered the Virtual Private Network (VPN) technology contained in Microsoft Windows and Officer Server products.
