According to a recent Ad Age article, IBM is claiming it holds patents on online advertising and is accusing Twitter of infringement on at least three of these patents. One of these patents includes the title "Method for presenting advertising in an interactive service." The definition is broad and could apply to other online companies including Facebook and Google.
IBM filed the infringements against Twitter with the Securities and Exchange Commission, but hasn't filed a lawsuit. Per Ad Age, IBM is willing to negotiate. As long as Twitter is somewhat cooperative or offers to purchase the patent rights, it doesn't appear as though IBM will sue. Furthermore, a lawsuit would likely lead to widespread media attention and public relations' issues for both companies. However, with the publicity this current allegation is already receiving, Twitter may be susceptible to other potential patent infringement claims.
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