HTC has just announced it will acquire S3 Graphics from VIA Technologies and WTI Investment for a cool $300 million. The deal is expected to close by the end of the year and is currently waiting regulatory approval and would have HTC obtain all outstanding shares of S3 Graphics with the firm's intellectual property and associated patients. Although the patents will technically change hands, HTC will grant VIA free access to the IPs.

VIA are set to receive $147 million and WTI will take $153 million. HTC has not said what they intend to do with S3 but most people believe HTC will use the portfolio of 235 patents as legal leverage against others in the smartphone market. S3 as recently as July 1 filed a patent infringement suit against Apple and an International Trade Commission Judge ruled in S3's favor, determining that Apple infringed on two patents involving image compression and data formats.