Friendster Wins Social Networking Patent

Posted on July 7, 2006

Red Herring reports that Friendster has won a social networking patent. The patent was filed in 2003.

Friendster said Thursday that it has received a patent that covers online social networks, one the company had applied for long before its decline and recent recapitalization.
The U.S. patent, which was awarded June 27, is extremely general, and would seem to cover the activities of many other sites, especially those like LinkedIn that allow people to connect within a certain number of degrees of separation.
Naming Friendster founder Jonathan Abrams, who has left the company, as inventor, the patent refers to a "system, method, and apparatus for connecting users in an online computer system based on their relationships within social networks."
"It's way too early to say" whether the company would pursue licenses and litigation from its competitors, Friendster President Kent Lindstrom told RedHerring.com. "We'll do what we can to protect our intellectual property."

Will the smiley faced social network get the last laugh on its competitors? It is hard to say what Friendster will be able to do with the patent. Valleyway writes about Friendster bullying a buyer into purchasing them in a post that features a frowning Friendster. It is a frown but not an angry frown like seen on Enemyster. Fast Company thinks MySpace is safe but calls the Friendster patent a wake-up call for Tagged and LinkedIn. InfoWorld says that patent "highlights just how ridiculous the patent system is in the U.S." Robert Scoble used the Friendster patent news as an opportunity to complain about all the social network emails he gets from people inviting him to join.

Why do I need a social network? I hate LinkedIn, for instance. I get emails sent to me through five people. If you don't know how to look me up on Google/MSN/Yahoo and email me directly why, exactly, would I answer your emails there?
I'm not anymore. If you've emailed me on LinkedIn or another social network I won't answer, sorry.

Scoble won't be your Friendster. Don't even think about asking him.