Over the weekend, billionaire investor Mark Cuban shared a list of unfiled patent ideas from Broadcast.com's early days, indicating they could have changed the course of internet history.
What Happened: Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Cuban shared "Potential Broadcast.com Patent Applications," dated Jan. 4, 1999.
The list includes 13 patent ideas that were considered by Broadcast.com's intellectual property lawyers but never filed.
"Just found the old list of patents our IP lawyers for Broadcast.com were going to file but never got around to under Yahoo," Cuban wrote. "Not saying they all would have been granted, but if you ever need prior art in this area, here you go lol."
Among the unfiled patents were:
- Geographic IP Identification — a method to pinpoint a device's location by analyzing internet packet routes.
- Reverse Auction — where buyers post what they want and sellers compete by offering lower prices.
- Streaming Authentication Systems — extending early user authentication methods for audio streams.
- Telephony-Based Content Publication — converting voicemail messages into multimedia content online.
After someone noted that Broadcast.com now leads to a blank page, Cuban responded by saying, "I tried to buy it back," adding, "Still willing to if anyone there cares!"
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Why It's Important: Broadcast.com began as AudioNet in September 1995, founded by Christopher Jaeb. Not long after, entrepreneur Cuban made a significant investment in the company.
The platform was a pioneer in streaming internet sports radio, enabling fans to tune in to live broadcasts of games from outside their local areas.
In 1998, amid the height of the dot-com boom, Cuban and his team took Broadcast.com public. On its debut day, the stock surged by 250%, pushing the company's valuation to around $1 billion and Cuban's personal stake to approximately $300 million.
Just nine months post-IPO, Yahoo! revealed plans to acquire Broadcast.com for $5.7 billion. Cuban quickly sold off most of the Yahoo! shares he received from the deal, securing billionaire status by age 41.
In hindsight, selling to Yahoo! proved a smart move. When the dot-com bubble collapsed, Yahoo! shuttered Broadcast.com just three years later.
Adding another twist, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) acquired Yahoo! in 2017 for $4.5 billion, less than what Yahoo! had paid solely for Broadcast.com.
Photo Courtesy: Kathy Hutchins On Shutterstock.com
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.