Unwired Planet – previously known as Openwave Systems, a pivotal company in the introduction of the mobile internet – has purchased a host of patents from Swedish telecom technology company Ericsson. 

The 2,185 international and US patents and patent applications relate to telecommunication technologies including 2G, 3G , GSM, GPRS, and LTE, and variety of other inventions that, according to the release widely implemented in many popular wireless devices and mobile industries.

In return, Ericsson will be given certain ongoing rights in future revenues generated from – and a license to –  Unwired Planets patent portfolio, which will grow almost tenfold following this deal, from 260 to nearly 2,500.

“Ericsson and Unwired Planet teamed in the late 1990s, at the dawn of the mobile internet, to define an industry and develop technology at the cutting edge of mobile communications. Our mobile heritage reflects decades of pioneering new technology, supported by billions of dollars in research and development,” said Unwired Planet CEO Mike Mulica. “We look forward to leveraging a strong, multi-dimensional patent portfolio and furthering discussions with key industry players who are interested in licensing these inventions to protect and further build their product strategies.”

Unwired Planet is currently embroiled in legal battles with Google, Apple and RIM over patent infringements – the most immediate advantage of acquiring this set of patents looks to be their benefit to these cases.