Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC will pay to gain patent licenses from Intertrust Technologies Corporation; meanwhile, the Taiwanese company will acquire a 20% stake in SyncTV, a subsidiary of Intertrust.
According to HTC, the involved patent licenses are mainly related to digital copyrights management technologies. However, the company did not reveal the acquisition price for the stake in SyncTV. SyncTV is a cloud computing video service provider whose products support various platforms, including Android, Windows Phone, Xbox, iOS, and Internet TV.
Intertrust said that the cooperation with HTC is an extensive strategic technological partnership. Though the company has formed patent alliances with other companies, it is the first time for its partner to acquire a stake from its subsidiary.
Other companies like Samsung, Motorola, and Huawei also cooperated with Intertrust for patent licensing, covering set-top boxes, computers, DVD players, and Internet TVs.
HTC is reportedly implementing investments in contents and services to differentiate itself from other smartphone makers. Prior to this, the company acquired MOG and made investments in several companies, including Beats Audio, Saffron Digital and OnLive.