patents and patent auctions is a long-term chess game..
Google knew ahead of time it did not have the $4 billion that might be bid by a group..it was not in it to win the auction but to use the auction as a bit of distraction among those potential groups that could file patent lawsuits as to enforce $4 billion in patents is not millions of dollars but more likely $1 billion in lawyer fees, etc..such resources is not built up over night even among big companies.
Google knew ahead of time it did not have the $4 billion that might be bid by a group..it was not in it to win the auction but to use the auction as a bit of distraction among those potential groups that could file patent lawsuits as to enforce $4 billion in patents is not millions of dollars but more likely $1 billion in lawyer fees, etc..such resources is not built up over night even among big companies.