Match, the company that owns dating app Tinder, is suing its dating app rival Bumble for patent infringement.
According to Match, Bumble’s in-app mechanics and layout is really, really similar to two patents it developed and currently uses on Tinder.
No ad to show here.
These include the “Matching Process System and Method” that covers a “method for profile matching includes receiving a plurality of user profiles, each user profile comprising traits of a respective user,” the patent reads.
Think of this as the famed card swiping system.
‘This case is simply about forcing Bumble to stop competing with Match and Tinder using Match’s own inventions’
The second is dubbed “Display Screen or Portion Thereof With a Graphical User Interface of a Mobile Device” which is a bit more esoteric, and covers “ornamental” aspects for the Tinder app.
For Match, the legal steps aren’t actions to slight Tinder’s competitor, at least according to the company.
“To be clear, this case is not about any Bumble personnel’s personal history with anyone previously at Tinder,” the case against reads.
“This case is not about feminism or a business marketed based on feminist themes; Match applauds Bumble’s efforts at empowering women, both in its app and offline, and Match cares deeply both about its women users and about women’s issues generally.
“Rather, this case is simply about forcing Bumble to stop competing with Match and Tinder using Match’s own inventions, patented designs, trademarks, and trade secrets.”