Google withdraws application for social network-related patent

Google has stepped back from its attempt for a particular patent related to creation of an online community within an online social network using the search system.

The invention, according to the company’s specification, allows a user to create a new online community within an online social network based on a search query, if there are no such communities existing.

While the company had filed for a patent in 2010, for “… A method of creating an online community within an online social network and system thereof”, in June this year, it informed the Patent Office that it is abandoning the application and was not interested in pursuing the case. Following this, the authority refused the particular patent application last week since there were outstanding objections which have not been complied.

The claimed invention, according to the documents the company submitted with the Patent Office, explains that while most social networking sites provide a search engine for the users to search and find out communities similar to their interests, if there are no such communities existing then the user has to change the search word for further results.

However, the company said that in one of the forms of its invention, if there is no such community existing in the network, the user is provided with an option of creating a new online community, which would include the user as a member. The content for the new community is searched out and displayed to the user.

The search engine would use various methods to find out the intended result even if the user has made some mistakes in the search word and would prompt for a few other search words for the user to carry out search, before prompting creation of a new community.

It also explains a module in which the community is being created, and a link would be extended to communities which have similar interests and it would have several controls and policies in place.

The patent specification also mentions social networking sites such as Myspace.com, Friendster.com, Tribe.net and its own social networking initiative Orkut.com. It may be noted that the company has shut down Orkut.com in September, 2014. It currently has an interest-based social networking site Google Plus, launched in 2011, which features formation of interest based communities, among others.