RED HERRING | Friendster Wins Patent
Thanks to Siggi for the link to this article. I’ve quoted the interesting bits. This patent applies to networks that do not allow you to connect to someone you don’t know (limited by a certain number of degrees). But since Friendster have recently “opened up Friendster to web crawlers, making users’ profiles searchable and accessible without being logged onto the site”, then through social network aggregators with no degree limits and object consolidation perhaps such a connection is still possible, circumventing sites covered by the patent. Also, let’s say a site only allows you to see someone’s friends but there are no facilities for browsing from one user to another at all. It’s still a social network site, but you just can’t create/view connections past one degree. Would this also be covered by the patent?
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.
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The Friendster patent’s main claim applies to networks that limit relationships to a certain number of degrees of separation—for example, you cannot connect to someone who doesn’t know someone who knows someone you know.
That is very likely to apply to networks like LinkedIn that function with such limits, said Mr. Heinze.
However, the patent might also have broader application, to networks without such limits. “Since [the patent says] you can define that maximum number of degrees as any number, that’s a pretty tough claim,” said Mr. Heinze.
LinkedIn and social networks Bebo, Tribe.net, and Tagged were not immediately available for comment.
I’ve also written social networking plugins for phpBB and vBulletin which in theory are covered by this patent (if the maximum number of degrees is everchanging but still theoretically limited by the maximum chain dynamically created through buddy lists). Does Friendster’s patent retroactively apply to my work?
If your work preceded the patent application, the patent is invalid.
However, if you developed and released the plugin after the patent request was submitted, the patent is valid and your work is affected.
However, as far as I know, the patent is about degrees of seperation. Defining who your friends are and seeing who your friend’s friends are is not covered by the patent afaik.
as for the following remark:
[However, the patent might also have broader application, to networks without such limits. “Since [the patent says] you can define that maximum number of degrees as any number, that’s a pretty tough claim,” said Mr. Heinze.]
I think it’s a mistake to claim that. This basically negates the patent as far as I understand. If an inherent part of the patent is a system of friends lists that allow anyone to list anyone else, the patent is invalid since that was already done long before the patent was granted.
Note though, that even if a patent is granted, it doesn’t mean it is defendable in court. If the patent is too broad or the claim of the patent owner is too broad and vauge, the patent wont hold in court and it will create a precedent that is negative for the patent owner.
Ron Kass,
I think what you are saying is very interesting. If you dont mind, could you email me at amady1@gmail.com , I would like to get more of your feedback on this patent. I also have a couple of questions for you.
-Mady