Apple, Qualcomm, others eye InterDigital | Reuters

#Apple Inc, #Nokia and #Qualcomm Inc are among several technology companies pondering bids for InterDigital Inc, sources familiar with the situation said.

The auction of the wireless telecommunications specialist -- expected to be heavily contested as giant tech companies fight to shore up patent portfolios -- will be postponed from next week until after Labor Day, the sources said.

Shares in InterDigital, which has a market value of about $3 billion, leaped as much as 12.2 percent on the news. But it quickly backtracked and was up $4.38 or 6.8 percent at $68.41 in afternoon trade.