FACEBOOK has purchased hundreds of patents from IBM in a bid to bolster its intellectual property standing as it squares off against Yahoo in a high-profile infringement lawsuit.
Facebook has purchased about 750 patents from IBM, which is regularly among the top US patent winners on an annual basis. The patents cover a broad range of technologies including software and networking.
A Facebook spokesman confirmed the purchase, but declined to provide further comment. An IBM spokesman declined to comment.
Facebook has sought to win more patents for defensive purposes as the eight-year-old company nears a high-profile stock market listing which could value it at $100 billion.
While Facebook has garnered roughly 850 million active users with its popular service, the young company remains at a disadvantage when it comes to intellectual property.
Last month, Yahoo informed Facebook the social site was infringing on more than a dozen of its patents. Earlier this month, Yahoo filed suit against its younger peer, alleging it has infringed on 10 patents related to online messaging, advertising and other technologies.
While Yahoo has more than 1,000 US patents, Facebook had just 56 patents issued in the US as of the end of last year, according to regulatory filings.
Facebook has called Yahoo's lawsuit "puzzling," and has not indicated it will seek to settle the matter prior to its impending IPO.
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