Facebook strikes back, counter-sues Yahoo

[BingoT]

Facebook strikes back, counter-sues Yahoo

Facebook has filed a counter-suit against Yahoo in the US District Court in San Francisco, defending its own patents and claiming that Yahoo infringes on some Facebook patents.

Ted Ullyot, Facebook's general counsel, said in a statement:

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 10 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 prioritise litigation over innovation.

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[jaysspot]

What a waste of time

Why yahoo ever thought it was a good idea to sue facebook is a mystery to me. Surely they cannot win this battle?

 

[Simmo!]

The whole patent wars thing is pathetic anyway. I read the other day that in the mobile sector there are something like 40 ongoing patent litigation cases going on at any one time between the big manufacturers

 

[conker]

Great news for the lawyers.

I know Apple have successfully used patents to stop competitors selling in certain markets. I can be a very good way of blocking the competition.

 

[Simmo!]

Great news for the lawyers.

I know Apple have successfully used patents to stop competitors selling in certain markets. I can be a very good way of blocking the competition.

And other manufacturers have also blocked Apple from doing certain things. It's not all bad and I believe that one has the right to protect a novel idea but patents are too easy to get - or at least, too easy to try to get (patent pending) - and the bottom line is it stifles technological advancement and the consumer ends up with less choice.