In a recent legal development, Match.com has successfully defended itself against the final claim in a patent infringement lawsuit filed by British Telecommunications (BT). The case centered on U.S. Patent No. 7,243,105, which describes a method for updating user profiles based on personalized reasoning about user activity. BT alleged that Match.com’s “Daily Matches” feature infringed upon this patent.
The United States District Court for the District of Delaware granted Match.com’s motion for summary judgment, ruling that the patent claim in question was ineligible under 35 U.S.C. § 101. Judge William C. Bryson determined that the claim attempted to monopolize an abstract idea—specifically, the common practice of tailoring digital services by tracking and interpreting user activity. The court’s opinion, unsealed on August 6, 2025, stated that the claim did not pass the two-prong test established by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank International. This test assesses whether a patent claim is directed to an abstract idea and, if so, whether it contains an inventive concept sufficient to transform the abstract idea into a patent-eligible application. In this case, the court found that the claim failed both prongs of the Alice test. ([docs.justia.com](https://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/delaware/dedce/1%3A2018cv00366/64705/349?utm_source=openai))
This ruling marks the conclusion of a legal battle that began in 2018 when BT filed suit against Match.com and other subsidiaries of IAC/InterActiveCorp, alleging infringement of multiple patents. Over the course of the litigation, several claims were dismissed, leaving only the claim related to the ‘105 patent. The court’s recent decision effectively ends BT’s pursuit of this particular claim against Match.com.
The outcome of this case underscores the challenges patent holders face when asserting claims that may be deemed abstract under current U.S. patent law. It also highlights the importance for companies to ensure that their innovations meet the criteria for patent eligibility, particularly in the rapidly evolving digital services sector.