IBM Wins $45 Million Verdict Against Zynga in Internet Tech Patent Trial

Jury Finds Zynga Infringed IBM's "Click-To-Chat" Patent

A federal jury in California has found that social gaming company Zynga infringed on IBM's "click-to-chat" patent. The jury awarded IBM $45 million in damages.

The lawsuit, which was filed in 2012, alleged that Zynga infringed on IBM's patent by using a similar "click-to-chat" feature in its popular games, including FarmVille and CityVille.

IBM's Click-To-Chat Patent

IBM's "click-to-chat" patent, which was issued in 2006, covers a method for allowing users to initiate a chat session with another user by simply clicking on a link or button.

The patent describes a system that allows users to click on a link or button to initiate a chat session with another user, even if the other user is not online at the time.

Zynga's Use of Click-To-Chat

Zynga's games use a similar "click-to-chat" feature that allows users to initiate a chat session with another user by clicking on a link or button.

The jury found that Zynga's use of this feature infringed on IBM's patent.

The Verdict

The jury awarded IBM $45 million in damages for Zynga's infringement of its "click-to-chat" patent.

The verdict is a significant victory for IBM and could have implications for other companies that use similar "click-to-chat" features in their products.