[getPhone]
Groupon, a large “group coupon” company, was recently accused of violating several patent infringements and was promptly sued. The lawsuit accuses the company of using peer-to-peer advertising that a small, lesser known company called Blue Calypso allegedly has a patent for. The small company also accused Groupon of infringing upon two other digital word-of-mouth marketing patents.
“As companies try to monetize their social media connections, they are rapidly moving into our technological area of expertise and it is imperative that we protect and secure what we have built,” says Blue Calypso’s CEO. Blue Calypso specializes in digital marketing and advertising that offers branded technology and promotional messages so a company’s friends can share through mobile phones and social media platforms.
Intellectual property violation, especially in the realm of technology, has absolutely exploded in the past few years because of the scramble to get into the market in the first place. Many companies aren’t even aware that they’re violating another company’s patents, but some are simply trying to outmaneuver one another. Samsung and Apple are currently battling it out in San Jose, and Fuji Film and Motorola are fighting over violated patents as well.
However, the lawsuit with Groupon has nothing to do with products or services, making it quite the unique case for the year.
