Andre Yoskowitz
3 Apr 2012 22:28
Last month, Yahoo sued Facebook over patent infringement. Today, Facebook has returned the favor.
Says the social networking giant: "From the outset, we said we would defend ourselves vigorously against Yahoo's lawsuit, and today we filed our answer as well as counter-claims against Yahoo for infringing ten of Facebook's patents. While we are asserting patent claims of our own, we do so in response to Yahoo's short-sighted decision to attack one of its partners and prioritize litigation over innovation."
Yahoo, in their original suit, said the patents are related to methods and systems for advertising on the Internet. The new suit accuses Yahoo of infringing on patents relating to its homepage, content optimization, relevance engine, Flickr photo-sharing service and advertising.
Yahoo's response to the suit: "We have only just received Facebook's answer and counterclaims, but on their face we believe they are without merit and nothing more than a cynical attempt to distract from the weakness of its defense. As we have made clear from the outset, the unauthorized use of our patented technology is unacceptable and must be resolved appropriately. Other leading companies license these technologies, and Facebook must do the same or change the way it operates. We have proposed that Facebook join us in discussions to resolve the matter, but our overtures have been rejected. As a result, we are prepared to continue to seek redress through the courts."
Facebook is preparing for a $100 billion IPO in May.