Yahoo's ten biggest mistakes
The resignation/termination of now-formerly new Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson amid a resume scandal was an embarrassing moment for the once-great internet giant.
For most companies, such a collosal blunder would represent a faux pas of the highest order, but that's not the case for Yahoo, it's just one more in a long line of mistakes.
Here are the ten biggest mistakes the company has made...
Facebook spends $550m on Microsoft patents
That didn't take long. Just two weeks after Microsoft announced that it had purchased a major collection of patents from AOL for $1bn, Microsoft has turned around and sold 650 patents to Facebook, which is being sued by Yahoo for patent infringment.
Microsoft will retain a license to the patents, and as part of the $550m deal, Facebook will also receive licenses for AOL patents that Microsoft did not offer up for sale.
Twitter's Innovator's Patent Agreement: will it really change anything?
The patent wars are completely and utterly out of control. That pretty much everyone can agree on.
But just about every major technology company feels the need to participate in some way. After all, even if you're not going around suing other companies for patent infringement, chances are you're filing for patents just in case.
Court: Apple can be involved in Lodsys patent suit
Last year, a company called Lodsys began contacting developers of iPhone and iPad apps utilizing in-app purchases, alleging that their use of in-app purchases, functionality provided for by Apple, violated a patent it owned.
Patent trolling has become so common that this wouldn't be surprising, but there was a wrinkle in Lodsys' case: Apple itself was already a licensee of the Lodsys patent in question.
AOL sells patent collection to Microsoft for $1bn
The patent wars continue.
Just weeks after AOL CEO Tim Armstrong was quoted as referring to AOL's 800-plus patent portfolio as "beachfront property in East Hampton" and reports surfaced that the company was shopping the collection, AOL sealed a deal with Microsoft worth just over $1bn.
Yahoo's Facebook patent lawsuit: hate the game, not the player
While the violent and depressing patent wars that are being waged in the technology industry aren't new, Yahoo's patent infringement lawsuit against Facebook has created a firestorm in Silicon Valley.
From bloggers to venture capitalists to former employees, individuals are lashing out at the once-dominant portal, criticizing it for being desperate, evil or some combination of other less-than-nice words.
Yahoo slaps Facebook with patent infringement lawsuit
Facebook hasn't even gone public yet and it looks like the company's IPO honeymoon may be over before it starts.
Today, a consumer internet behemoth with which Facebook has maintained a relatively friendly relationship with, Yahoo, slapped the social networking giant with a lawsuit alleging that it is infringing on 10 Yahoo patents which focus primarily on advertising, but also include, for instance, an "Online playback system with community bias."
Loopt gets acquired by prepaid debit card company
What do prepaid debit cards and location-based services (LBS) have in common? If a company called Green Dot is right, the answer is 'a lot more than you might think.'
The company, which is a major player in the prepaid debit card space, today announced that it has acquired mobile LBS startup Loopt for $43.4m in cash.
BT joins the Android patent circus
Google's Android operating system has proven to be a big hit, and that's good news for Google.
But it has also been good news for companies like Microsoft, which are profiting and seeking to profit from patents that Android may be infringing.
Now British Telecom has joined the Android patent litigation and licensing circus.
2012: five things to watch
Despite questions about the global economy and volatility in the markets, 2011 proved that there's no place quite like the technology industry, where innovative new services and products continued to win adoption by both consumers and businesses.
With 2012 just around the corner, it's time to ask: what's around the corner?
