For Release June 22, 2010
Intellectual Ventures Signs with Thales Alenia Space an Agreement for the Acquisition of Satellite Inventions Patents
BELLEVUE, Wash. — June 22, 2010 — Thales Alenia Space announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire a significant patent portfolio describing hundreds of inventions related to satellites communication systems, as well as additional patent rights, from Intellectual Ventures™.
With this acquisition, Thales Alenia Space will have access to the intellectual property rights required to build the Iridium NEXT constellation of satellites, under contract recently awarded by Iridium Communications Inc. Iridum is also receiving a license to the inventions required for the other parts of the Iridium NEXT communication system.
The majority of these inventions were created by Motorola engineers during the original design of the Iridium satellite constellation, a network of 66 low-Earth orbit (LEO) cross-linked satellites that provide critical voice and data services for areas not served by terrestrial communication network. Iridium is the only mobile satellite service company offering coverage over the entire globe. Additional patent rights from other ambitious R&D programs are also included in this acquisition.
“By acquiring and aggregating one of the industry largest set of top quality satellites inventions, we have now provided a leading industrial company with additional IP assets,” commented Vincent Pluvinage, General Manager for Strategic Acquisitions and Private Equity at Intellectual Ventures. “Providing liquidity to inventors and access to strategic IP assets to companies is part of our mission.”
“With this acquisition, Thales Alenia Space takes another step forward in the constellation startup process,” said Marc Borello, General Counsel at Thales Alenia Space. “Our strategy is to deliver products that give our customers the best combination of performance, cost and lead-times.”
About Intellectual Ventures
Intellectual Ventures is a privately held global invention capital company with offices worldwide. Founded in 2000, Intellectual Ventures stimulates new invention opportunities by supplying capital, expertise and business models to the global intellectual property market. Intellectual Ventures creates inventions, buys inventions and partners with inventors to develop new inventions.
www.intellectualventures.com
Intellectual Ventures Press Contacts
press@intven.com
About Thales Alenia Space
European leader in satellite systems and a major player in orbital infrastructures, Thales Alenia Space is a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Finmeccanica (33%). Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio embody the two groups’ “Space Alliance”. Thales Alenia Space sets the global standard in solutions for space telecoms, radar and optical Earth observation, defense and security, navigation and science. The company, which achieved revenues of Euro 2 billion in 2009, has a total of 7,200 employees located in 11 industrial sites in France, Italy, Spain and Belgium.
www.thalesaleniaspace.com
Thales Alenia Space Press Contacts
Florence Pontieux Tel: +33 (0)1 57 77 91 26 florence.pontieux@thalesaleniaspace.com
Sandrine Bielecki Tel: +33 (0)4 92 92 70 94 sandrine.bielecki@thalesaleniaspace.com
Intellectual Ventures is a registered trademark of Intellectual Ventures Management, LLC (IV). Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.