https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/09/googlehtc-deal-is-official-google-to-acquire-part-of-htcs-smartphone-team/

The Google and HTC deal is official, it's just not quite what we were expecting. Google isn't buying HTC outright, à la Motorola; instead, Google and HTC have signed an agreement to send some of HTC's employees over to Google, while HTC gets a $1.1 billion cash infusion. The deal also includes a non-exclusive license for HTC's intellectual property.