14 DAY TRIAL // Facebook managed to secure a patent for its 'news feed' in the US earlier this week. The patent covers the way activities and updates are ranked and displayed in the news feed. It isn't exactly clear what the patent focuses on or what Facebook plans to do with it. It's clear, though, that Facebook wields a lot of power, now that it has been granted the patent as news feed features are widespread online with many websites implementing them in one way or another.
From the patent filing explaining the functionality covered by it, "A method for displaying a news feed in a social network environment is described. In some embodiments, the method includes generating news items regarding activities associated with a user of a social network environment and attaching an informational link associated with at least one of the activities, to at least one of the news items."
The patent application was filed in August 2006, one month before Facebook introduced the, at the time, controversial News Feed. Since then, it has become central to the site and, despite having undergone several revamps, the core functionality is the same, to aggregate the data users might find useful from their friends.
As with most web and software patents, the News Feed, though popularized and established in its current form by Facebook, predates the social network's implementation in some cases. The nature of the web also tends to nullify any power the patent may hold. The news feed functionality has been adopted by many sites because it lends itself very well to any social service and Facebook would have a hard time enforcing it beyond the largest sites.
Of course, it may just choose to sit on it and use it only as a defensive matter. Facebook isn't saying, but one thing's for sure, the social network is "humbled" by the News Feed's popularity. "The launch of News Feed in 2006 was a pivotal moment in Facebook's history and changed the way millions of people consumed and discovered information on the site. We're humbled by the growth and adoption of News Feed over time and pleased with being awarded the patent," a Facebook representative said.