Amazon (AMZN) has apparently grown tired of letting Apple (AAPL), Samsung (005930), Microsoft (MSFT) and Google (GOOG) have all the fun with patent litigation. Reuters reports that Amazon is scouting around for an “Acquisition and Investment Leader” to “identify and evaluate strategic IP acquisition and licensing opportunities.” Or put more simply, Amazon wants to hire someone who will help the company acquire patents that it can use either to sue others or to ward off would-be plaintiffs.
David Pridham of patent consulting firm IPNav told Reuters that Amazon’s foray into the world of consumer electronics with its Kindle Fire tablet is the biggest reason it wants to acquire more IP.
“As they get into wireless devices and digital media, they realize the best way to handle this is to get more proactive in IP,” he said. “The time for Amazon to go after an IP portfolio is not when they are sued. They want to get the IP ahead of time.”
