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NEWS AOL, Microsoft and Facebook trade patents


As technology companies continue battling to bolster their IP rights, Microsoſt paid AOL around $1 billion for 925 patents in April 2012.


In an unexpected twist two weeks later, social network Facebook said that it was buying 650 of the 925 patents in a deal worth $550 million. Facebook said it will license the remaining 275 patents from Microsoſt .


Under the original Microsoſt -AOL deal, Microsoſt said the patents covered its “core and strategic technologies”, according to a statement. Although the company did not disclose exactly what they cover,


it owns patents for advertising, content


management, social networking, multimedia and online chat technologies.


“T is is a valuable portfolio that we have been following for years and analysing in detail for several months,” said Brad Smith, Microsoſt ’s general counsel.


Speechly Bircham undertakes design law research


Law firm Speechly Bircham LLP and two other groups are to research the effectiveness of UK design law and assess how it can be improved.


The UK Intellectual Property Office and Design Council commissioned the research. With research specialists from Mountainview Learning and the University of London, Speechly Bircham will produce a report that should make a number of recommendations.


The government will review the report.  SUBSCRIBE TO TRADEMARKS, BRANDS AND THE INTERNET VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1


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One Facebook lawyer has been reported as saying that the most recent deal was another “signifi cant” step in the company’s bid to build its IP portfolio.


T e two deals represent the latest attempts by technology companies to seize the upper hand in the war over patents. In July 2011, a consortium including Microsoſt and Research In Motion beat Google to 6,000 patents owned by telecoms equipment company Nortel. T e following month, Google hit back by acquiring


Motorola Mobility for its patents—a deal worth $12.5 billion.


More recently, Yahoo sued Facebook for patent infringement, before the social network hit back by alleging Yahoo had violated some of its own patents.


Meanwhile, Samsung and Apple are battling in court over patent rights for the iPhone 4S, iPad and Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus—showing how technology multinationals are increasingly desperate to protect their IP. 


12


Trademarks Brands and the Internet Volume 1, Issue 2


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