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Microsoft Buys 800 AOL Patents For $1 Billion

Posted by samzenpus on from the all-your-patents-are-belong-to-us dept.

netbuzz writes "Marking the latest escalation in the technology industry's intellectual-property arms race, Microsoft is paying AOL a shade over $1 billion for 800 patents, the cream of which AOL CEO Tim Armstrong has described as 'beachfront property in East Hampton.' Armstrong insists they haven't left the cupboard bare: 'We continue to hold a valuable patent portfolio as highlighted by the license we entered into with Microsoft. The combined sale and licensing arrangement unlocks current dollar value for our shareholders and enables AOL to continue to aggressively execute on our strategy to create long-term shareholder value.'"

4 of 103 comments (clear)

  1. Come on, now by HBI · · Score: 5, Insightful

    These guys insist on insulting our intelligence by stating that they're creating 'long term shareholder value' by selling assets. That's BS. The company is worth less today than it was yesterday, and Microsoft is worth more. How is a statement like that not tortious?

    --
    HBI's Law: Frequency of calling others Nazis is directly correlated with the likelihood of the accuser being Communist.
    1. Re:Come on, now by HBI · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I don't see how Microsoft being the next Rambus is any better than AOL doing it themselves.

      Where has AOL been smart over the last 15 years or so? When the market was saturated for free sign-up CDs, that was about the end of AOL's innovation.

      --
      HBI's Law: Frequency of calling others Nazis is directly correlated with the likelihood of the accuser being Communist.
    2. Re:Come on, now by wisnoskij · · Score: 5, Insightful

      What? Do you have no concept of what is going on here?
      Theoretically they just traded 1 billion dollars worth of useless patents that were just gathering dust for 1 billion dollars that they can use for anything.
      They are worth today exactly what they were worth yesterday.
      What they do with this influx of money will determine if they gain or lose value as a company.

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      Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
  2. 1980's: Merger Mania! 2010's: Patent Mania! by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It really seems now that the Big Game Hunt in town is Patent Barter. Having world class patent attorneys, is more important to a company's long term tech strategy, than having world class researchers.

    You can come up with something brilliant, truly innovative on the tech front, but be devastated on the patent front. Thus, rendering your research worthless.

    Tech patent attorneys. This decade's Arms Race.

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    Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!