Yahoo! sues Facebook for patent infringement

Yahoo! has launched a patent war against Facebook. The internet company accused the social network of infringing ten patents.

These patents cover technologies for online advertising, text messaging, personalization settings, and commenting on social networks. Yahoo!'s patent claims were first revealed in late February. At the time, the company promised to sue the largest social network if it did not purchase the rights to use the patented technologies.

The lawsuit against Facebook is extremely untimely for the social network. Facebook has filed for an IPO, which is scheduled for this spring. Legal proceedings could depress the company's stock price.