SHARE
Facebook X Pinterest WhatsApp

AOL Sells 800 Patents to Microsoft for $1.1 Billion

TechCrunch: In a memo to employees, AOL revealed that it has “agreed to sell 800 of our patents and their related applications to Microsoft for $1.056 billion in cash.” That leaves the once-dominant Internet company with just 300 patents in its portfolio, most of them related to “core and strategic technologies, including advertising, search, content […]

Apr 9, 2012
Datamation content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More

TechCrunch: In a memo to employees, AOL revealed that it has “agreed to sell 800 of our patents and their related applications to Microsoft for $1.056 billion in cash.” That leaves the once-dominant Internet company with just 300 patents in its portfolio, most of them related to “core and strategic technologies, including advertising, search, content generation/management, social networking, mapping, multimedia/streaming and security among others.”

As part of the terms of the deal, AOL received a perpetual license for the technologies it sold.

Microsoft hasn’t commented on what it plans to do with the patents.

  SEE ALL
ARTICLES
 

Recommended for you...

What Is Sentiment Analysis? Essential Guide
11 Top Data Collection Trends Emerging In 2024
Kaye Timonera
Feb 8, 2024
6 Top Data Classification Trends
Avya Chaudhary
Oct 13, 2023
7 Data Management Trends: The Future of Data Management
Mary Shacklett
Aug 2, 2023
Datamation Logo

Datamation is the leading industry resource for B2B data professionals and technology buyers. Datamation's focus is on providing insight into the latest trends and innovation in AI, data security, big data, and more, along with in-depth product recommendations and comparisons. More than 1.7M users gain insight and guidance from Datamation every year.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2025 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.