Microsoft Purchases Majority of AOL's Intellectual Property, Including Netscape Patents

Ben Kersey: “Microsoft and AOL …signed a deal that would see MSFT pick up 800 of AOL’s patents for around $1 billion in cash. The deal is expected to close at the end of 2012, with Microsoft being able to leverage AOL’s remaining 300 patents under a non-exclusive license. As it turns out, there was an undisclosed term to the deal, and AllThingsD reports that Microsoft has picked up part of Netscape.”

  • See also NYT: Microsoft’s AOL Deal Intensifies Patent Wars, by Steve Lohr: “The lofty price Microsoft paid AOL for 800 patents – $1.3 million each – reflects the crucial role patents are playing in the business and legal strategies of technology companies.”
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    Posted in: Intellectual Property, Internet, Microsoft, Patent and Trademark
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