After facing over twenty lawsuits last year, Facebook took steps to alleviate the pressure by purchasing over seven hundred patents from International Business Machines (IBM). The purchase includes various technologies used in networking and software application.
Currently Facebook holds only around fifty patents, but has many more applications filed with the US patent office (around 500). This new acquisition dramatically improves the size of Facebook’s patent portfolio and could be useful in fending off lawsuits like the one they are fighting right now from Yahoo!.
It looks like there’s going to be a war between Yahoo! and Facebook, and now Facebook is properly armed to engage Yahoo!. We’ll wait to see what happens. In the meantime Twitter will let us know what people are thinking about with Facebook’s new acquisition:
@SeanDillonSmith
Sean SmithOh #Facebook, you’re so clever. http://t.co/tNV1jzqi #socialmedia
7 minutes ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
@ErenGokk
Eren Gök Facebook Bought 750 Patents From IBM [REPORT]:
@PrakashChandra
Prakash ChandraIn case there was any doubt that the current system isn’t working – FB Buys 750 IBM Patents To Defend Against Yahoo http://t.co/b5yPSyDT 6 minutes ago via Tweet Button · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
@basanneveld
Bas AnneveldNice! #Facebook buys 750 #IBM patents to defend against #Yahoo http://t.co/0XDAkSwd 18 minutes ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
@PineconeComp
PineconeComputingAnd the race is on…. http://t.co/RZaeFiBB 40 minutes ago via Facebook · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
@MEEM_Creative
MEEM CreativeTroll Repellant! http://t.co/pR2xGaM3 47 minutes ago via Facebook · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
@rstbob
Bob OesterlinWell, that’s an interesting development! RT @JesseNewhart: Facebook Buys 750 IBM Patents To Defend Against Yahoo http://t.co/GkU3fOeQ 59 minutes ago via TweetDeck · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
@NavSarwar
Nav SarwarFacebook buys 750 patents from IBM. Likely as defensive weapons against Yahoo. Watch this space! 1 hour ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
@drollness
Michael DavisIntellectual property is out of control, example #145,745: http://t.co/hScU0BbW – can’t wait for our dystopian future… 42 minutes ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
@jenuf
jenufFunny->RT @lauriemccabe: IBM yard sale! GOOG buys 1K IBM patents, now FB buys 750 IBM Patents 2 Defend Agst Yahoo http://t.co/em1GFf41 1 hour ago via TweetDeck · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto