Facebook to Boston Phoenix: You call that a patent? We'll show you a patent!

Last fall, the Phoenix sued Facebook, alleging the social network violated patents owned by a Phoenix subsidiary for creating user profiles online. Facebook yesterday returned the favor, suing the Phoenix for alleged violations of patents it owns on equally fundamental parts of the Web.

In its lawsuit, like the Phoenix suit, filed in US District Court in Boston, Facebook charges search engines on the Phoenix Web site that let uses find bands, events and restaurants violate a Facebook patent on a technique for letting users narrow the results of a search query. Facebook also charges its patent is violated by a Phoenix search engine that lets users specify exactly what sort of sex acts they want to see in X-rated videos catalogued by the Phoenix's adult sites.

But wait, there's more: Facebook also says a music player on Phoenix subsidary WFNX's site and real chat on the Phoenix's Love Access site violate another Facebook patent on real-time database updates, such as would be needed for compiling most-popular songlists and online chatting.

• Facebook complaint
• System, method and medium for managing information
• Apparatus and method for communication between multiple browsers
• The Phoenix complaint against Facebook