Facebook Sued for Patent Infringement

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Fire up the Facebook attorneys, the social network is being sued for patent infringement. A Baltimore based company holds a patent on “facilitating communications between user members of an online network” and they claim Facebook is infringing on that patent. Facebook says it will fight the suit.

WhoGlue makes and sells software for associations and nonprofits to help them manage their memberships via the Internet. The company holds a patent for what is described in the filing as a system for "facilitating communications between user members of an online network."
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From patent office website

If the invention has been described in a printed publication anywhere in the world, or if it was known or used by others in this country before the date that the applicant made his/her invention, a patent cannot be obtained. If the invention has been described in a printed publication anywhere, or has been in public use or on sale in this country more than one year before the date on which an application for patent is filed in this country, a patent cannot be obtained
I'm going to be assured that social networking has been around since before 2001 when this patent was applied for. Facebook should have no issues fighting this patent.
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Oh SH!T. [H] is going to be in big doodoo. They are “facilitating communications between user members of an online network” via this forum.
 
LOL easy win for Facebook. Besides k1pp3r's point, that patent is far too broad to be enforceable, anyway.

I'm glad FB is fighting the suit rather than settling.
 
They have not case period. Invalid patent due to patent office error and patent search.
This application has been in the works since online clients have been around. Which does Void patent.
 
We all should start a class action against them for using such software and trying to patent it so no one else can after being out for years before..
 
I declare Patent Troll hunting season officially open. Time to weed out these lames.
 
There should be a law on killing patent squatters after they're proven in the wrong. But then again we're a nation of laws. So it's a pipe dream.
 
Monkey34 said:
I declare Patent Troll hunting season officially open. Time to weed out these lames.
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In that case, we can't have seasons since there'd never be enough time to weed enough out whle the trolls continue to multiply. How about we move them all to an island that nuclear tests are being performed on? :D
 
Fortunately, I hold a patent on facilitating communications, period.

Please advise anyone whom you see communicating that they are infringing upon my patent, and to write me a check. Oh, and you too, for informing them.
 
I think this is pretty damming:

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"According to WhoGlue's patent, the company designed an information management system for "facilitating communications between user members of an online network," where users can customize their relationships with other members.

Members can approach other members online via a "handshake," where each person consents to being associated with the other person. Through their interactions on the network, the system can automatically generate a personalized "newspaper-like electronic publication that becomes tailored to each user based on user preferences."

Facebook offers similar technologies. Members on that network send one another "friend requests" to become associated online so they can share information. And Facebook users who are active on the site have access to - and generate information for - a "news feed," so they can keep track of others' activities on the site

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If they do have a patent on this, then they are going to be pretty rich imho... :(
 
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