Dick’s, Ulta Infringed Targeted Ad Tech Patent, Lawsuits Say

Dicks Sporting Goods Inc. and Ulta Beauty Inc. were hit with patent infringement lawsuits accusing the companies of copying technology to generate targeted ads based on social media activity.

The cosmetic store chain and sporting goods retailer’s websites directly infringe Convergent Assets LLC’s US Patent No. 11,049,138, according to two complaints filed June 21 in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

The ‘138 patent covers systems and methods to create targeted advertising by chronicling and ranking a user’s social networking activity, and browsing information, the complaints said.

Convergent specifically accused the companies of infringing claim ...