• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, April 4, 2011

In an effort to build out its patent portfolio, Google will bid on Nortel Networks' patents that the bankrupt telecom company will auction off at a price of more than $900 million.

The push toward mobile and faster networks likely prompted the bid. The technology supports a range of applications such as 4G wireless, and semiconductors, as well as infrastructure like optical and data networking, and Internet advertising.

"Today, Nortel selected our bid as the 'stalking-horse bid,' which is the starting point against which others will bid prior to the auction. If successful, we hope this portfolio will not only create a disincentive for others to sue Google, but also help us, our partners and the open source community -- which is integrally involved in projects like Android and Chrome -- continue to innovate," Kent Walker, senior vice president and general counsel, wrote in a blog post Monday.

A "stalking-horse bid" allow others to come in and bid higher than the minimum price Google sets for the roughly 6,000 patents.

Walker wrote that obtaining the patents would become a deterrent for companies to initiate a lawsuit against Google and assist open-source software projects, such as Android and Chrome.

Not surprisingly, Google announced the bid on the same day Google Cofounder Larry Page steps in as CEO, replacing Eric Schmidt.