Fig.1 Victor [http://www.11secondclub.com/users/profile/22666] (2010). "unBearable", Eleven Second Club. "A teddy bear is at the centre of a dispute between a monkey and a bear". Audio taken from the feature film "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" (1987).
"'Facebook's entire social network model, which allows users to create profiles for and connect with, among other things, persons and businesses, is based on Yahoo!'s patented social networking technology,' Yahoo claims in the lawsuit, filed yesterday in US District Court in Northern California. 'Prior to adopting Yahoo!'s patented social networking technology in 2008, Facebook was considered one of the worst performing Internet sites for advertising. Facebook's use of that social networking model has reportedly dramatically driven up Facebook's advertising click through rates.'
Nearly all the technology that makes Facebook successful is based on Yahoo patents, the company further states.
'For much of the technology upon which Facebook is based, Yahoo! got there first and was therefore granted patents by the United States Patent Office to protect those innovations. Yahoo!'s patents relate to cutting edge innovations in online products, including in messaging, news feed generation, social commenting, advertising display, preventing click fraud, and privacy controls,' Yahoo alleged in its court filing. 'These innovations dramatically improve user experience, privacy, and security and enhance the ability of advertisers to connect with users.'"
(Jon Brodkin, 13 March 2012, Ars Technica)