Apple Inc, Intel Corp and Ericsson are vying, along with Google Inc, to buy patents from bankrupt telecom maker Nortel Networks Corp in a sale slated for later this month, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.

Nortel announced this week it was delaying the sale of about 6,000 patents and patent applications until June 27 after the Canadian company said previously it would hold the sale on Monday.

The patents include intelligence on wireless Internet technology and social networking. Nortel, which filed for bankruptcy in January 2009, has already sold most of its physical assets.

The Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, said the San Francisco firm RPX Corp was also accepted as a qualified bidder for the patents.

Intel declined to comment on Saturday, while Apple did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Michael Hirtzer; Editing by Peter Cooney)

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