Jim Prosser, a Google spokesman, confirmed the transfer, reported by a blog SEO by the Sea, but did not provide details such as the price Google may have paid for the patents.

Google also in July. It to smartphone maker HTC to help it pursue patent litigation against Apple.

Google has been interested in acquiring patents for some time now, which led to its for the patents of Nortel Networks, and its proposed for about US$12.5 billion.

The tech world has recently seen an explosion in patent litigation, often involving low-quality software patents, which threatens to stifle innovation, Kent Walker, Google's senior vice president and general counsel, said in April.

"But as things stand today, one of a company's best defenses against this kind of litigation is (ironically) to have a formidable patent portfolio, as this helps maintain your freedom to develop new products and services," he added.