General News

Tinder and Bumble have spent most of 2018 embroiled in a fierce legal battle over patent infringement, misuse of intellectual property and theft of trade secrets. At the center of the dispute is the swiping mechanism that has become a ubiquitous feature of modern dating. In March, Tinder’s parent company Match Group filed a lawsuit alleging that Bumble “copied Tinder’s world-changing, card-swipe-based, mutual opt-in premise.” Bumble responded with an aggressive countersuit asserting that the swiping interface is not an original notion worthy of patent protection.

After attempts to settle privately failed, the dispute headed to court and the first big ruling has been handed out.

Judge Alan Albright of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas denied Bumble's claim that the Match Group patents in question are ineligible for patenting under Section 101 of the Patent Act.

Bumble New Search Filters

Image: Bumble

Female-friendly app Bumble has added another new feature aimed at pleasing users and monetizing its offerings: the ability to filter matches not only on its dating platform, but also for its networking apps Bumble Bizz and Bumble BFF.

The Filters feature allows users to sift through potential matches using a specific set of criteria, according to website Tech Crunch. One of the filters for Bumble Dating is by astrological sign, political leaning, or relationship type, and for Bumble Bizz you can filter by industry, for example. Users will be allowed to access two filters for free; they must pay for any additional filters.

The new feature is aimed at saving users time in their searches by limiting their choices to those who are most relevant to what they are looking for in a match, according to Tech Crunch.

I've been working on updating the Match review for 2019 (last major update was in 2017) and I stumbled on a statistics page Match put up for their dating service. On it they explain the breakdown of their members by age along with a few other interesting facts. I also found an article on Seeking Alpha which talks about Match Group (who owns Match.com) and what makes it an attractive buy at the moment for investors. Let’s summarize the more thought provoking of these stats.

Dating app Bumble announced that it will be sponsoring the seventh annual Prohibition NYE in downtown Los Angeles. The popular New Year’s Eve party has a “Roaring Twenties” theme against the backdrop of the historic Union Station.

The event is organized by McCullough and Ross in partnership with KCRW, and features world-class DJs, a live jazz ensemble, burlesque, and an open bar for guests. Live acts include local artist Classixx and Lyndsay and the All Nighters, according to the event’s PR. To help guests ring in the New Year with appropriate festivity, a ball will drop from the famous art deco ceiling of the train station.

Bumble users will be able to get into the event by showing an active profile on their phones, so if you’re interested in attending, be sure to download the app and set it up before arriving to the yellow-carpeted entrance. There will also be a photo booth, so it’s encouraged to dress for the occasion.

Tinder has fired a group of employees who brought a lawsuit against parent company Match Group and its controlling shareholder IAC, according to website The Verge who broke the story. Tinder did not reveal how many people were fired, but former communications VP Rosette Pambakian was notably among them.

Tinder employees who brought the lawsuit against Match Group alleged that the company had manipulated financial data in order to lower the company’s valuation, forcing former co-founder and CEO Sean Rad among others to accept less money than they claim their shares were worth.

In addition, the lawsuit includes Pambakian’s allegation that former CEO Greg Blatt also sexually harassed her at a company holiday party.

Match has just launched a new feature called the Super Match Badge (currently in the UK only), allowing women to award men who check off all parts of Match’s profile and behavior requirements. The purpose of the badge is for women to immediately identify great candidates who they might want to meet.

Match is making an effort to appeal to women who have had to deal with less-than-tolerable behavior from men over dating apps. Many online daters have complained about ghosting and sending inappropriate messages and photos, and this is Match’s way of addressing the issue.

It’s also a good strategy for men who use dating apps – you can set yourself apart from the crowd.

These so-called Match Heroes who receive the Super Match Badge have to complete many steps in the process, including: