Facebook compra patented de MSFT
World » More
U.S. » More
New York » More
Business » More
Markets » More
Tech » More
Personal Finance » More
Life & Culture » More
Opinion » More
Careers » More
Real Estate » More
Small Business » More
Digits Personal Technology What They Know All Things Digital
TOP STORIES IN
Technology
1 of 12
Avon Late to Web Party
2 of 12
E-Books Suit Gathers Defenders
3 of 12
Online Video Turns Up Heat
4 of 12
Tech IPOs Highlight Busy Week Ahead
5 of 12
Olympus Holders Vote In Directors
6 of 12
PLAY
E-Books Lawsuit Aids Amazon, Critics Say
7 of 12
Netflix's Uphill Battle to Forge Subscriber Growth
8 of 12
A Quixotic Quest to Mine Asteroids
9 of 12
PLAY
Smart Alarms That Wake You Gently
10 of 12
Is It Time to Cut Back on Apple?
11 of 12
Google's Schmidt Gets Raise After Leaving CEO Post
12 of 12
PLAY
A "Smart" Watch that Works with Your Android Phone
prevnext
TECHNOLOGYApril 23, 2012, 12:34 p.m. ET
Facebook Buys AOL Patents From Microsoft for $550 Millions
By BEN FOX RUBIN
Microsoft Corp. MSFT -0.76% agreed to sell the majority of a patent portfolio it acquired from AOL Inc. AOL -1.08% to social-networking giant Facebook Inc. for about $550 million in cash.
The deal marks the second big acquisition Facebook has unveiled this month as it moves forward with plans to go public. Facebook earlier agreed to buy the popular photo-sharing app maker Instagram for $1 billion in cash and stock.
Earlier this month, Microsoft won an auction to buy about 925 patents and patent applications from AOL for $1.06 billion, and also agreed to license its remaining 300 patents.
Microsoft said Facebook will take ownership of about 650 AOL patents and patent applications, and also gain a license for the 275 remaining patents and applications that Microsoft will continue to hold.
"Today's agreement with Microsoft represents an important acquisition for Facebook," said Ted Ullyot, general counsel for Facebook. "This is another significant step in our ongoing process of building an intellectual property portfolio to protect Facebook's interests over the long term."
Brad Smith, executive vice president and general counsel at Microsoft, said the deal "enables us to recoup over half of our costs while achieving our goals from the AOL auction."
Write to Ben Fox Rubin at
ben.rubin@dowjones.com