The internet, integral to modern life, often overlooks the patent protections behind the technology powering the world wide web, still enforced today. Zynga recently faced a court ruling for infringing on IBM patents from the 1980s, potentially leading to damages of $44.9 million, with a significant portion attributed to IBM’s 1993 advertising patent. While this decision won’t impact ongoing Zynga games, the company plans to appeal the ruling, as not all games were found to be infringing. IBM, known for its extensive intellectual property rights, has targeted several online businesses over the years, with Zynga being just one in their sights. Despite previous successes against other companies, such as Chewy, some have managed to fend off IBM’s legal challenges.
