They may buy Sandisk to eliminate royalties:

Central to the SanDisk takeover drama is a technology licensing agreement that requires Samsung to pay SanDisk somewhere between $300 million to $600 million a year. That contract expires next year and the two companies need to renegotiate.

A buyout of SanDisk would help Samsung eliminate those licensing payments.

http://www.thestreet.com/story/10472...