"AOL has not said exactly what the patents cover," writes Dominic Rushe in The Guardian. "Under the terms of the transaction it will retain a licence for them."

  • LogrusZed

    What do people even use AOL for any more? Is it still a dial-up ISP? 

    • http://lemoutan.blogspot.com/ Lemoutan

      I believe they go around hampering software development – like shoutcast – with license restrictions, so that new opensource software – like icecast – gets started. So they may be of some service to the community at large.

      Beyond that, I dunno. I can’t even be arsed to find out what they do. I think they just go around owning things.

      But, like I say, I speak from ignorance so caveat lector.

  • Daniel Ewing

    Who would have guessed that aol’s patents (on sending out coasters) was worth $1b?  

  • http://lemoutan.blogspot.com/ Lemoutan

    It’s the nought point one that’s so sexy here. Somebody picked up 100 million for the ten percent enabling fee. Nice.

  • http://www.facebook.com/robert.r.little Robert Ray Little

    What part of Netscape’s patents (allegedly 800 of them) did Microsoft buy? Am I the only one troubled by that? 

  • scythenoire

    Yet another reason why patents are such a bad idea, they waste so much money that could be used for actual technology development or other useful things. Patents have never help progress science or technology, ever.

    • http://scavenger-ethic.blogspot.com/ scav

      Never mind. Microsoft were unlikely to do anything useful with that $1B anyway.

      I expect it will be followed by another few hundred million going into the pockets of patent lawyers, then epic courtroom fail, then a few hundred dollars on new chairs for monkey-boy.

      The billion dollars will find their way back into the economy via yachts, fast cars, cocaine, restaurant bills, hookers, and eventually Android phones. :)