1.0Gizmodo Australiahttps://gizmodo.com.auMario Aguilarhttps://gizmodo.com.au/author/marioaguilar-usa/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="mwreb0XbOk"><a href="https://gizmodo.com.au/2012/04/desperate-aol-sells-800-patents-to-microsoft-for-us1b/">Desperate AOL Sells 800 Patents To Microsoft For $US1b</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://gizmodo.com.au/2012/04/desperate-aol-sells-800-patents-to-microsoft-for-us1b/embed/#?secret=mwreb0XbOk" width="600" height="338" title="“Desperate AOL Sells 800 Patents To Microsoft For $US1b” — Gizmodo Australia" data-secret="mwreb0XbOk" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); </script> https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/10/original.jpg?quality=75640360In an internal memo sent out this morning, AOL informed employees that it will sell 800 patents for $US1 billion to Microsoft. Translation: AOL is severing organs and handing them over to Microsoft for badly needed cash. Microsoft, in turn, walks away with an arsenal of patents it can use to fight critical battles with […]