Reunion.com files infringement suit against Plaxo

Social networking company Reunion.com announced earlier this week it has filed a patent-infringement suit against online address-book maker Plaxo.

Reunion.com is seeking damages and an injunction against Plaxo, which the company says is violating a patent Reunion.com acquired with the purchase of GoodContacts Research in 2004. GoodContacts developed a method for automatically updating and maintaining contact information within a database, and Reunion.com believes Plaxo’s services infringe on that patent, officials say.

This lawsuit is a last resort, say Reunion.com officials, since the company has already notified Plaxo of its infringement claim.

To continue reading, register here and become an Insider. You'll get free access to premium content from CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, and Network World. See more Insider content or sign in.

Social networking company Reunion.com announced earlier this week it has filed a patent-infringement suit against online address-book maker Plaxo.

Reunion.com is seeking damages and an injunction against Plaxo, which the company says is violating a patent Reunion.com acquired with the purchase of GoodContacts Research in 2004. GoodContacts developed a method for automatically updating and maintaining contact information within a database, and Reunion.com believes Plaxo’s services infringe on that patent, officials say.

This lawsuit is a last resort, say Reunion.com officials, since the company has already notified Plaxo of its infringement claim.

Plaxo says it sees no merit to Reunion.com's claims. "Based on our review of the allegations from Reunion.com, we believe that they are without merit and [we] plan to defend our position appropriately. Meanwhile, we will continue to focus on serving our customers and growing our business," says John McCrea, Plaxo's vice president of marketing.

Reunion.com is a community site that lets members search for people and keep in touch through its contact sharing and updating technology.