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IBM wins $44.9 million patent infringement suit against Zynga

Zynga argued that it violated none of IBM's 'invalid' patents, and plans to appeal the verdict.

Justin Carter, Contributing Editor

September 16, 2024

1 Min Read
Splash art for Farmville 3.
Image via Zynga.

Reuters reports tech company IBM won its lawsuit against mobile developer Zynga, which it sued over patent infringement in 2022.

Two years ago, IBM claimed the Farmville creator was misusing its "foundational" web technology, including data capture and analytics. The two companies had reportedly been negotiating a license since 2014, but those talks repeatedly fell through.

IBM's other suits

At the time, Zynga was one of many internet companies IBM took legal action against. Earlier this year, a suit against e-commerce site Rakuten was settled, while another against pet goods seller Chewy was dropped entirely.

Documents show the federal court found multiple Zynga games fell within the bounds of patent violation. Specific titles listed include the Farmville sequels, Crosswords with Friends, and Wizard of Oz Slots.

With the court in its favor, IBM has been awarded $44.9 million in damages. However, Zynga spokesperson Alan Lewis argued those patents were invalid, and said the developer (and its owner Take-Two) plan on appealing the verdict.

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About the Author

Justin Carter

Contributing Editor, GameDeveloper.com

A Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit.

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