Samsung talks to BlackBerry about US$7.5b buyout: source

New York

SAMSUNG Electronics recently offered to buy BlackBerry Ltd for as much as US$7.5 billion, seeking its valuable patents as it battles Apple in the corporate market, according to a person familiar with the matter and documents seen by Reuters.

South Korea's Samsung proposed an initial price range of US$13.35 to US$15.49 per share, representing a premium of 38 per cent to 60 per cent over BlackBerry's current trading price, the source said on Wednesday.

Representatives from the two companies, which are working with advisers, met last week to discuss a potential transaction, the source said, asking not to be identified because the conversations are private.

The Waterloo, Ontario-based company said in a statement that it "has not engaged in discussions with Samsung with respect to any possib…