Friendster has said it received a patent that covers online social networks, one the company had applied for long before its decline and recent recapitalization, reports Red Herring. The report said: The U.S. patent, which was awarded June 27, is extremely general, and would seem to cover the activities of many other sites, especially those like LinkedIn that allow people to connect within a certain number of degrees of separation. Naming Friendster founder Jonathan Abrams, who has left the company, as inventor, the patent refers to a “system, method, and apparatus for connecting users in an online computer system based on their relationships within social networks.” “It’s way too early to say” whether the company would pursue licenses and litigation from its competitors, Friendster President Kent Lindstrom told RedHerring.com. But he said: “We’ll do what we can to protect our intellectual property.” This patent highlights just how ridiculous the patent system is in the U.S., also recently highlighted in Neil McAllister’s Patent overload hinders open source innovation. There are some interesting comments in our Talkback, Are patents killing innovation? But patenting social networking takes the cake. Let me restate, Friendster now has a patent on any “system, method, and apparatus for connecting users in an online computer system based on their relationships within social networks.” Software DevelopmentSmall and Medium Business