AOL, Inc. is an American web portal and online service provider headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it was later known as America Online and became a dominant force in the 1990s, introducing millions of people to the internet. After a series of ownership changes involving Time Warner, Verizon Communications, and Apollo Global Management, AOL was acquired by the Italian technology company Bending Spoons in a deal completed in January 2026.
Once the largest internet service provider in the U.S., known for its dial-up service, AOL has since shifted its focus. The company's dial-up service was officially discontinued in late 2025. Today, AOL operates as a web portal and provides digital content and advertising services. Key offerings include AOL Mail, an email service, and various content brands it has owned over the years. The company also operates a large online advertising network.
AOL's patent litigation history shows it as an operating company defending its technology. The database lists one case where AOL was a defendant, consistent with a company being targeted by a patent-assertion entity. This suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, a common venue for patent litigation.
The single tracked case is I/P Engine, Inc. v. AOL, Inc. et al., filed in 2011. I/P Engine, a subsidiary of patent monetization firm Vringo, Inc., accused AOL and other major tech companies of infringing patents related to search engine advertising technology. After a jury found in favor of I/P Engine, the judgment was later overturned on appeal.