Friendster Patents Social Networking
San Francisco-based Friendster has won a patent for online social networks. The patent was filed in 2003, and was awarded on June 27th. Friendster’s founder Jonathan Abrams is listed as the inventor, and the patent covers a “system, method, and apparatus for connecting users in an online computer system based on their relationships within social networks.” The main claim is the “degrees of separation” idea that has been implemented by business networks like LinkedIn.
This was supposed to be embargoed until 8am PST, but it looks like that isn’t being held (Mashable: we respect embargoes so you don’t have to).
Social network website such as Bebo, MySpace, Friendster, MyYearBook, Classmates.com, LiveJournal, Xanga, Facebook, Hi5, Joga Bonito, MSN Spaces, Orkut, Yahoo! 360� and growing list of the social networking sites, has increasingly popular and becoming influential part of contemporary pop culture. MySpace, according to Hitwise, has even become the most visited website if counted by page-views in the United States, edging Yahoo! Mail and Google.
