Aardvark's filing, which follows its acquisition by Google in February, has stirred further excitement into the social networking sector's competitive IP climate.

However, as status updates are long-established features of Aardvark's high-profile rivals – such as Facebook and Twitter – patent observers will be monitoring the application's progress to see whether it passes the obviousness test.

Aardvark is best known in the social media landscape as an online question-answering forum, in which each user can have queries resolved by fellow members of his or her network. Given Aardvark's similarities to the now-retired Google Answers, its acquisition could pave the way for a full-time replacement of that service. When commenting on its buy-out by Google, Aardvark was keen to highlight how it's culture 'was inspired by Google in many ways'.

In its application, Aardvark describes the new networking tool as a 'status messaging service' for use as 'an online channel for indirect messaging in a WOM marketing campaign'. Web users will be urged to endorse a web service to their friends and associates 'by submitting a status message to one or more status messaging services to which [they] belong’.

The site takes care to position its claims on the leading edge of online publicity methods. 'By creating novel ways for people to communicate with and influence each other,' it adds in the application, 'the internet is a particularly powerful mechanism for WOM campaigns. As users become savvier about banner and search engine advertising, WOM channels assume greater importance to the online advertising industry.'

The application continues the trend for social media operators to secure IP Rights to the component functions of networking platforms. In February, Facebook received a US patent for its real-time news feed, which allows users to track the activities of their network friends based on timeliness and relevance to common interests. While Facebook said it was 'humbled by the growth and adoption' of its news feed and 'pleased [to receive] the patent', open standards advocates predicted that the move would trigger a flurry of lawsuits against competitors.

One of the most prominent advocates to express this view was Google open standards researcher Chris Messina, who specialises in using open-source software to develop social media strategies. On learning of Facebook's news feed patent, he added an update to his Twitter page reading: 'There goes the neighbourhood.'