Microsoft has bought a piece of historical internet technology: the Netscape browser.

On Monday, it was revealed that Microsoft has bought 800 patents, some concerning key pieces of Netscape, from AOL for $1.056 billion.

The news about the patents buying spree by Microsoft was first broken by TechCrunch which is owned by AOL.

TechCrunch posted along with its story a copy of AOL CEO Tim Armstrong addressed to employees saying that the deal was part of the company’s effort to unlock value from its patent portfolio.

It was mentioned in the report that Microsoft is buying stock of an AOL subsidiary without mentioning what subsidiary it was.

Along comes All Things Digital which says that that subsidiary is AOL’s Netscape and that Microsoft is buying key pieces of Netscape technology along with the 800 patents it has agreed to acquire from AOL.

Citing an unnamed source, the publication said that “Microsoft will buy the underlying patents for the old browser, but AOL will hang on to the brand and the related Netscape businesses”.

The Microsoft deal with AOL is expected to be finalized by the end of this year.

Microsoft has bought underlying technologies powering the legacy Netscape browser. Image: tobyx / Flickr (CC)

Sources: TechCrunch and All Things Digital

About Solon Harmony Dolor

A passion for technology and journalism makes this upcoming writer very interested in social media and technology news. Fresh from finishing an English and Journalism degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman, he aims to bring interesting news to our readers .