Yahoo sues Facebook over patents

Yahoo sued Facebook yesterday over 10 patents that include methods and systems for advertising on the web, the first major legal battle among big technology companies in social media.

The lawsuit, filed in a San Jose, California federal court, marks a major escalation of patent litigation that has already swept up the smartphone and tablet sectors and high-tech stalwarts such as Apple, Microsoft and Motorola Mobility Holdings.

Yahoo’s patent lawsuit follows Facebook’s announcement of plans for an initial public offering that could value the company at about $100bn (€76bn)