LONDON — Royal Philips Electronics has become the 23rd company in as many months to purchase a Moore Microprocessor Patent portfolio license, and the third major European company to purchase a license following Schneider Electric, Nokia Corporation and Lego.

"We welcome the expansion of our program with Philips, a proven worldwide leader in medical equipment and consumer electronics. This agreement further validates the strength and broad scope of the MMP Portfolio," said Andre-Pascal Chauvin, vice president of licensing for Alliacense, Patriot Scientific Corporation's licensing partner.

"It's pretty common to see the pace of deals pick up as a trial approaches," said Mike Davis, senior vice president, licensing. "A number of major businesses that have been following the case closely needed a little time to evaluate the recent Markman ruling, and are now moving to capture licenses at current prices and avoid significantly higher royalty rates following trial."