A Facebook spokesman confirmed on Thursday afternoon that it had bought a collection of software and networking technology patents from I.B.M. for an unspecified price. Bloomberg reported earlier in the day that Facebook had purchased 750 patents.
Its impending public stock offering makes Facebook, the world’s largest social network, a ripe target for patent fights. Yahoo sued Facebook this month, claiming 10 infringements, including some for digital advertising technology products. Others are likely to challenge Facebook in the coming months.
“We are currently, and expect to be in the future, party to patent lawsuits and other intellectual property rights claims that are expensive and time consuming, and, if resolved adversely, could have a significant impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations,” it declared in its application for a public offering in February.
The latest patent grab could significantly bolster Facebook’s intellectual property assets. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company said it had applied for 503 patents in the United States and had been issued 56.