Facebook Acquires Company That Sued, WhoGlue

[![][1]][2]A [patent-infringement lawsuit][3] ended up leading to an acquisition, as relationship-management-software developer WhoGlue announced that it was acquired by Facebook.

WhoGlue filed suit against Facebook in September 2009, claiming that the social network "violated a patent awarded to WhoGlue in 2007 for an "information management system' to control personal information as human networks and technology increasingly mesh."

Founder Jason Hardebeck told _The Baltimore Sun_'s [BaltTech][4] blog the suit was settled in a "very positive" way last year, adding:

It's not typically how you introduce yourself to someone, to serve them with papers. My experience with Facebook was very positive, very surprising, given its perception in the press and certainly from the movie [_The Social Network_]. It turns out that they are really good guys.

[_Baltimore Business Journal_][5] reported that Hardebeck was able to repurchase enough trademarks and the WhoWare software behind WhoGlue to continue to service its client base under the new name WhoGlue LLC, independent from Facebook.

WhoGlue's clients include the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association and the Ohio State University Varsity "O" Alumni Association. Technology giant Siemens was among the shareholders until Facebook bought them out.

Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

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[1]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/WhoGlueLogo.jpg (WhoGlueLogo)
[2]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/WhoGlueLogo.jpg
[3]: http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-hit-with-3-lawsuits-in-one-week-2009-10 (Facebook Hit With 3 Lawsuits In One Week)
[4]: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/technology/2011/11/facebook_buys_baltimore_compan.html (Facebook buys Baltimore company that sued it: report)
[5]: http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2011/11/22/facebook-buys-baltimore-software-firm.html?ana=twt (Facebook buys Baltimore software firm WhoGlue)
[6]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wTnHsA3WfvTyMA2yRXQXhLB5-XU/0/di
[7]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wTnHsA3WfvTyMA2yRXQXhLB5-XU/0/da
[8]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wTnHsA3WfvTyMA2yRXQXhLB5-XU/1/di
[9]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wTnHsA3WfvTyMA2yRXQXhLB5-XU/1/da
[10]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?d=pnQdOprp5To
[11]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=STe_ySAdgDI:V4JIqFUy8Fg:pnQdOprp5To
[12]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?d=qj6IDK7rITs
[13]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=STe_ySAdgDI:V4JIqFUy8Fg:qj6IDK7rITs
[14]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?i=STe_ySAdgDI:V4JIqFUy8Fg:gIN9vFwOqvQ
[15]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=STe_ySAdgDI:V4JIqFUy8Fg:gIN9vFwOqvQ
[16]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/allfacebook/~4/STe_ySAdgDI

URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/allfacebook/~3/STe_ySAdgDI/facebook-acquires-whoglue-2011-11