Zynga is Sued by Personalized Media Communications for Infringing Four Patents

SUGAR LAND, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Personalized Media Communications, LLC (PMC) has filed a patent suit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas against Zynga, Inc. (Zynga) NASDAQ: ZNGA, the largest social game developer, for infringement of four of PMC’s patents.

“Many years of time and labor went into developing our inventions and securing the patents that permit their practice”

The complaint alleges that Zynga’s social-networking games, such as Words with Friends, CityVille and FarmVille, use PMC’s patented technology. PMC is demanding a jury trial, as well as enhanced damages and attorneys’ fees because of deliberate willfulness on the part of Zynga.

The four patents named in the suit, United States Patent Nos. 7,797,717, 7,908,638, 7,734,251 and 7,860,131, cover the use of control and information signals embedded in electronic media content to generate output for display that is personalized and relevant to a user. The patents disclose and claim many different aspects of this basic functionality. Some examples include controlled access of media content, personalized content based on individual attributes, management of downloading technologies, network management, control of targeted advertising, and purchase of media and other products. For a copy of the complaint click here.

PMC owns and licenses a portfolio of 57 patents that cover inventions it has developed internally over a 30 year period. All of PMC’s patents have either a 1981 or 1987 priority date and will not start to expire until 2027.

“Many years of time and labor went into developing our inventions and securing the patents that permit their practice,” said PMC chief inventor John C. Harvey who founded the company in 1981. “It wouldn’t be right to sit by and allow them to be infringed.”

Zynga does business in Texas and has locations in McKinney, TX and Dallas, TX. Zynga, Inc. is the world’s largest social game developer with 227 million average monthly active users. PMC is being represented by Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.

About Personalized Media Communications

Personalized Media Communications owns a fundamental intellectual property portfolio developed over thirty years by its chief inventor and founder John C. Harvey. The patents cover the use of control and information signals embedded in electronic media content to generate output for display.

All 57 of the company’s active patents have either 1981 or 1987 priority dates as a result of patent office delays in reexamining them. They will not begin to expire until 2027. PMC’s inventions are platform agnostic. They can be delivered via the Internet, an intranet, cellular wireless or cable/satellite networks, and run on PCs, laptops, tablets, smartphones, set-top boxes, televisions, game consoles, and other electronic-media delivery systems. Licensees include Cisco Systems and Motorola Mobility. For more information visit www.personalizedmedia.com