Facebook Files for Patents as Lawsuits Extend to Social Media - Mobiledia

Facebook patented a system for viewing and messaging through user profiles based on privacy permissions, as the shadow of patent infringement lawsuits begins to loom over social media. The Palo Alto, Calif.-based social network now has a patent for a "system and method for managing information flow between members of an online social network." Filed in 2004 and granted this year, the patent covers technology related to browsing and messaging user profiles with varying degrees of privacy permissions.