Some Lawsuit details.
There are 8 dating sites being sued to date and one of the things being thrown about is a Signed & Sworn Statement from execs of the time is that the main dating site at the time didn’t have or own 2 way matching prior to 1997.
Oh really….
ERIC KLIEN created the following computer dating system that employed 2 way matching.
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.personals/msg/a8cbc5fbaa7ecf17?&q=compatibility
Which was then sold to Match.com
http://lifeboat.com/ex/bios.eric.klien
Confirmed here
You can even see him using a match.com email address back in 93.
December 12, 2007 at 11:43 pm
Matchmaker also employed 2-way matching- it would match straight men only to women, and bi men to both bi and gay men, and straight women, etc.
In fact, I think every dating match service I’m aware of that checked the genders while generating matches would violate this patent.
The patent was issued despite being both obvious and there being significant prior art.
I can testify with certainty that I was employing such a system in 1994.
December 13, 2007 at 2:03 pm
I recall from the early 80’s that one of the first things a dial-your-match (DYM) BBS’s would ask you was (H)et (B)i or (G)ay - to match you up to the correct type of person.
December 14, 2007 at 1:24 am
Just because you have the facts on your side doesn’t mean you will win a patent lawsuit (RIM!). Good luck bro!
December 14, 2007 at 5:51 pm
This fight goes well beyond Markus; it’s an industry problem. I’m confident this bogus patent will be beaten easily.