Forbes reports that a portion of Eastman Kodak's intellectual property portfolio will be sold in bankruptcy proceedings for just over half a billion dollars.  The buyers are myriad -- Apple, Google, Samsung and Facebook are leading contenders.  And the deal is brokered by Intellectual Ventures, a non-practicing entity widely reviled as a patent troll.  

One wonders how the value of these patent monopolies will be diluted by divvying up these spoils among so many competitors.  One also wonders why all these companies are getting in bed with Intellectual Ventures, which adds greatly to its credibility and clout.  

Kodak's IP portfolio is deep and broad, as described by NY's Jewish Voice website.  Kodak even argued during bankruptcy proceedings that Apple owed it over $1 billion in patent royalties, so it remains to be seen whether this purchase will be set-off against any of those alleged backpayments.  

At one point, Kodak claimed its IP portfolio was worth as much as $2.6 billion.  The deal must still be approved by the bankruptcy court, but it's looking good -- loans were extended to Kodak on the condition that its IP portfolio was sold for more than $500m, and it just barely made it.  

The Wall Street Journal dropped a tidbit that beleaguered Kodak, now in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, received a bid for its patent portfolio from Google and Apple.

That's right, Google and Apple jointly.  As in, together.

These bitter rivals in the smartphone space must have something up their sleeve for cameras if they can find common ground here.  

Apple is currently suing the heck out of its supplier-cum-competitor Samsung  for iPhone patents.  Last month, a US judge dismissed a claim by Apple that Google (new owner of Motorola Mobility's patent portfolio) was abusing its leverage to charge too-high royalties to Apple for the Motorola patent licenses.  

Now, it seems, these who behemoths are playing nice.  Stay tuned...