Google confirmed that Chinese authorities have green-lighted the purchase of Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion. The merger had already been approved by the U.S. Justice Department and European Union regulators in February, but was waiting on approval from regulators in Taiwan, Israel, and lastly China. The Chinese Anti-Monopoly Bureau originally dragged its heels on the purchase, possibly in relation to the tense history the country has with Google. With the purchase, Google is set to acquire 17,000 patents along with a mobile-handset maker to complement the company’s Android operating system.
