Yahoo is selling more than 3,000 patents and pending applications that the pioneering Internet company believes could be the most foundational patents related to Web search and advertising.

The patents are in the areas of search, advertising and cloud technology and 2,659 of these were assigned in April to a Yahoo subsidiary called Excalibur ahead of the sale.

“Yahoo is exploring the divestiture of a portfolio of more than 3,000 patents and pending applications covering a wide range of technology, including early-filed Internet search, advertising, and cloud technology,” a Yahoo spokeswoman said in an email Tuesday.

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