Microsoft deal with AOL part of patent scramble

NEW YORK — AOL’s $1 bil­lion deal to sell and license patents to Microsoft is another in a series of “Antiques Road­show” moments in the tech­nol­ogy world. Faded com­pa­nies have been rum­mag­ing through their assets recently, and some of them have found musty old patents that turn out to be worth a great deal.