Google and Apple

According to c|net news, Google was founded when the Stanford effort to license the intellectual property found no serious takers. Luis Mejia, of the Stanford University Office of Technology Licensing, mentioned this at the recent California Clean Tech Open. Stanford did keep an equity stake in Google, which they eventually sold for $336 million.

Apple Computer's story is similar, with Hewlett Packard giving up rights to the work of their temporary employee, Steve Wozniak. This week marks the 30th anniversary of the first Apple computer. For more history, see Wired, CNN's Grouchy Geek, eWeek, and an interview with the Woz.