InterDigital looks for sale or other “strategic partnership”

In a press release today, King of Prussia-based mobile hardware maker InterDigital announced that it was considering “potential strategic options” for the company – a fancy way of saying that the company is for sale. From the release:

Over the past year we have seen the value of intellectual property rise substantially as major players in the mobile industry increasingly understand the strategic and economic value of this type of asset. As a result, the Board believes it is an appropriate time to explore potential strategic options that may enhance shareholder value.

Basically, the company feels that the patents held by the company are more valuable now than ever before. According to the Business Journal, the company’s stock was up on the news as well as news that Apple has purchased 6,000 patents from Nortel Networks for $4 billion.
Maybe one of Apple’s competitors will counter by purchasing InterDigital?
Disclosure: InterDigital was a sponsor of Switch Philly during Philly Tech Week and this reporter handled the relationship with the company’s public relations firm.