Facebook gains patent on privacy settings

Applications installed within member profile may comprise profile or platform applications

Social media major Facebook has received a patent in India for systems and methods providing privacy settings for applications installed in their profiles.

According to the Patents Act, 1970, a mere invention in software is not eligible for patent, but the Patent Office observed that the amended claim of Facebook showed the necessary physical interactions among the hardware components and the invention was patentable.

The specification that the company filed with the Patent Office explains that users may usually install applications which can be accessed through a link pasted to a member’s profile, or through an application installed within the member’s profile. Applications