When AOL made a $1 billion deal to sell patents to Microsoft last April, its stock jumped up about 43 percent on the news. After all, AOL could use a $1 billion shot in the arm. Who couldn’t? But what is behind this string of sales of patents? Why are patents so important to large tech firms like Microsoft, Google and Apple? Let’s take look at what a patent is and how it can help these tech behemoths. A patent is a form of intellectual property that gives exclusive rights to an inventor.
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Technology Firms' Latest Weapon of Choice
Posted by: Theodore F. di Stefano May 24, 2012 07:00 AMWhen AOL made a $1 billion deal to sell patents to Microsoft last April, its stock jumped up about 43 percent on the news. After all, AOL could use a $1 billion shot in the arm. Who couldn’t? But what is behind this string of sales of patents? Why are patents so important to large tech firms like Microsoft, Google and Apple? Let’s take look at what a patent is and how it can help these tech behemoths. A patent is a form of intellectual property that gives exclusive rights to an inventor.