LAW360 - Feb 18 - The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board has refused to allow a developer to register Beender as a trademark for its dating app, finding that the name sounds too similar to Tinder.
1,007 posts categorized "Tinder"
Tinder Rival's Rhyming Name Too Close a Match for TTAB
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Match Group Sues Muzmatch
BLOOMBERG LAW - Feb 16 - Match Group accused U.K.-based Muzmatch of copying Tinder to create a similar digital matchmaking service for Muslims. Match Group called Muzmatch a "Tinder clone" in a patent-infringement suit filed Feb. 12 in federal court in Waco, Texas. Muzmatch copied Tinder's "world changing, draggable-card-based, mutual opt-in app interface" in a dating app dedicated solely to one cultural group, Match claims in the complaint. Both apps offer users digital stacks of cards containing photos of potential romantic matches in close geographic proximity, which the user can accept or discard by swiping.
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Tinder Patents Swipe Night
GRATISDATINGTIPS - Feb 16 - Tinder's Swipe Night, an interactive adventure that connects users based on the choices they make, turned out to be a great success. So Match Group filed for the protection of the "Swipe Night" method last August in a patent called "System and method for recommending users based on shared digital experiences". The patent was published by the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) on February 11, 2021.
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The Rise of Borderless Dating
QUARTZ - Feb 16 - In the early days of the pandemic, Tinder users started teleporting themselves into other countries. The feature, normally available with Tinder's paid subscriptions, was so popular that the company made it free for everyone for a month. Bumble followed suit, giving users the option to set their location filters "nationwide". Location has started mattering less. Nicole Parlapiano, VP of marketing for North America at Tinder, also says that Gen Z has a more relaxed, open approach to dating. "I think the world's getting smaller. What matters is good interaction, good conversation. And you can jump on a plane, you can get in a car," said Geoff Cook, CEO of The Meet Group, which owns streaming app MeetMe. OkCupid said in a blog post that since the start of the pandemic "connections and conversations across borders are up 50%, and people are setting their location preferences to 'anywhere' more than ever before.” ~1.5M users say they are open to a long-distance relationship. Dating coach and industry consultant Steve Dean said his clients have been more willing to widen their geographical perimeter during the pandemic. Eric Resnick, longtime online dating coach and industry consultant, is skeptical. "He wonders, how do you navigate a new online relationship? Are you exclusive, or do you also date locally?" "There's potential for it, but I think it's inherently risky," he said. "Nothing's real until you're in the same room at the same time as someone."
by Hanna Kozlowska
See full article at Quartz
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Online Dating Market is Worth $35.7M in Mexico
EXPLICA - Feb 15 - The market for online dating services is expected to generate $ 3.2B in global revenue by the end of 2021. The estimate for Mexico is $ 35.7M, according to Statista. In 2020, 5.2M Mexicans confessed to having used an app service to find a partner. The most popular app is Tinder. Last March, 723K people downloaded Tinder compared to 299K in February.
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Tinder, Bumble and Hinge Show Surge in Americans Looking for Love Online
WALL STREET JOURNAL - Feb 15 - Dating apps such as Tinder, Bumble and Hinge recorded a surge in users and time spent online last year. Overall, eight of the largest dating apps in the U.S. saw a 12.6% YOY increase in monthly active users in the final quarter of 2020, the biggest such jump in nearly two years, according to data tracker Apptopia. Match Group registered big gains in its Hinge app. In all, downloads of the eight apps increased 7.4% YOY in the Q4; in comparison, downloads in the Q4 of 2019 decreased 8.5% YOY. Meanwhile, time spent on the apps rose 13.4% in the Q4, up from 4.1% in the prior year.
by Yan Wu
See full article at Wall Street Journal
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Top 100 Subscription Apps Grew 34% to $13B in 2020
TECH CRUNCH - Feb 12 - Apps saw record downloads and consumer spending in 2020, globally reaching ~$111B to $112B. But a growing part of that spend was subscription payments, a new report from Sensor Tower indicates. Last year, global subscription app revenue from the top 100 subscription apps (excluding games), climbed 34% YOY to $13B, up from $9.7B in 2019. There are some signs that subscription revenue growth may be hitting a peak. Some of the slowdown and otherwise flat growth can be attributed to larger apps, like Netflix and Tinder, which have found ways to workaround the app stores' in-app purchases requirements.
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Match Group to Launch "Tinder Made" Merch
GRATISDATINGTIPS.NL - Feb 12 - Two recent trademark registrations by the Match Group show that Tinder has ideas for its own product line. Match Group registered a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on January 20, 2021 to protect the term "Tinder Made". Tinder plans to sell protective covers and cases for cell phones; stands for handheld digital electronic devices; lights for use with mobile phone cameras; clothing, footwear and headwear; bags; cups and water bottles; and more.
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Match Stock Hits High on Hyperconnect Acquisition as Tinder Growth Slows
INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY - Feb 10 - Match's stock popped 7.7% to an all-time closing high of 171 on the stock market today. The Hyperconnect acquisition comes just as Match rival Bumble goes public. Hyperconnect garnered $200M in fiscal 2020 from two mobile apps, Azar and Hakuna. Match expects the South Korean company to grow revenues 40% to 50% in 2021. Japan recently became Match's second biggest market, behind the U.S. But Tinder growth has slowed in the U.K., Brazil and India amid the coronavirus pandemic. Match has pivoted to video chatting amid the Covid-19 outbreak.
by Reihardt Krause
See full article at Investor's Business Daily
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Dating Apps Made $3B in 2020, Tinder Tops Spending List
THE HINDU - Feb 9 - Consumers across the globe spent ~$3B on dating apps in 2020, up 15% YOY, according to App Annie. Tinder secured the top position in terms of consumer spending worldwide, while Bumble and Pairs took the second and third spot. Dating apps witnessed a total of 560M downloads over the year. Tinder was the top ranking app in India and the U.S., having the highest annual overall consumer spend among non-gaming apps in 2020. It also ranked in the top 10 in both China and South Korea.
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Tinder Partners With Deliveroo for Valentine's Matchmaking Service
CAMPAIGN.CO.UK - Feb 9 - Tinder has partnered Deliveroo for a Valentine's dating service that prints the profiles of local singles on food deliveries. The initiative comes after Tinder reported an 84% increase year on year in user bios featuring the word "takeaway". When ordering from one of five Wingstop restaurants on Deliveroo, customers will be able to opt-in to the "DeliverDate" service, meaning their delivery will arrive with QR codes for Tinder profiles of six people printed on the box. 1K profile boxes will be available on orders from Wingstop restaurants in the London areas of Battersea, Kentish Town, Gloucester Road and Croydon, as well as in Birmingham, on 13 and 14 February. Thirty singles are being featured across the whole campaign.
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Tinder Achieves Certification for Its Information Security Management System
SECURITY MAGAZINE - Feb 8 - Tinder becomes first dating app to be recognized for comprehensive information security practices in accordance with internationally accepted standards. The app has achieved certification for its Information Security Management System (ISMS) under the ISO/IEC 27001:2013 standard following an extensive impartial external audit. In order to meet the ISO/IEC 27001:2013 standard, Tinder implemented 114 physical, operational, technical, and security controls and underwent extensive audits by multiple security experts.
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Match Owns Dating's Past, Present and Future
WALL STREET JOURNAL - Feb 4 - Match showed impressive resilience early on in the pandemic. Q4 results slightly topped Wall Street's estimates. Match's shares took a dive in mid-January following Bumble's IPO filing, but had since recovered. Then its shares tumbled again 5% after hours following Tuesday's Q4 report. Investors shouldn't be overly discouraged. Its Q4 numbers show it met its initial revenue guidance for 2020, given way back in Nov of 2019, before the first case of Covid-19 had even been identified. For the past few years, the Match story has revolved around Tinder's rapid growth but Match's relationship-focused apps should increasingly come into focus in 2021. Match said downloads of Hinge grew 82% in 2020 through the end of Sep and that the direct revenue soared ~200% in the Q3, suggesting users are eager to pay for it. Beyond Hinge, Pairs, acquired by Match in 2015, is now Japan's biggest dating app.
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Match Group 4Q and Annual Results, Tinder Reports $1.4B Annual Revenue
MATCH GROUP - Feb 2 - Total Q4 revenue grew 19% YOY to $651M. Operating income was $213M, up 17% YOY. Adjusted EBITDA was $245M, up 13% YOY and the average subscribers increased 12% to 10.9M, up from 9.8M in the prior year quarter. Full year 2020 revenue grew 17% YOY to $2.4B. Operating income and Adjusted EBITDA were $746M and $897M, respectively, increasing 16% and 15% YOY, respectively. Tinder Direct Revenue was $1.4B for 2020, an 18% increase YOY.
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How Match Group Grew to Dominate the Online Dating Market
BUSINESS INSIDER - Feb 2 - Match Group, which started as one lonely Stanford Business School graduate's attempt to build a less embarrassing way to find love online in the '90s, has turned into a titan that owns nearly every US dating site. Bumble, however, is conspicuously absent from Match's portfolio. Bumble's CEO, ex-Tinder executive Whitney Wolfe Herd, has a toxic history with the online dating group.
History of Match
- Match Group was founded in Feb 2009 after IAC decided to bundle all dating sites it owned.
- AC's initial purchase of Match.com dates back to the 1990s. Gary Kremen founded Match.com in 1995; he left in 1996 with just ~$50K.
- Ticketmaster bought Match.com in 1999 for $50M. Cendant Corporation bought the company a year earlier for $6M.
- During the 2000s, IAC chairman Barry Diller turned Match.com into one of the most successful online dating companies in the US.
- Jim Safka, a former ETrade and AT&T executive, took over as Match.com CEO in 2004.
- Revenue increased 68% between 2003 and 2006, going from $185M to $311M
- IAC acquired People Media for $80M in July 2009, with a combined 255K subscribers.
- 2011, Match Group acquired OkCupid for $50M.
- In January 2012, Hatch Labs, a startup "sandbox" launched by IAC to incubate mobile apps, hired Sean Rad as general manager. Rad worked with developer Joe Muñoz to create the prototype for Tinder. Jonathan Badeen and Chris Gulczynski were hired to help with front-end and design. Whitney Wolfe Herd was hired in May and Justin Mateen was brought in as a contractor. The app was originally called Match Box.
- August 2012, Match Box was renamed to "Tinder" and launched on Apple's App Store.
- By April 2013, Tinder officially incorporated, with Rad, Badeen, and Mateen considered the company's cofounders. Rad served as CEO.
- IAC later purchased another chunk of Tinder for ~$50M.
- In 2014, Wolfe Herd sued Tinder and IAC for sexual harassment and discrimination.
- In 2015, acquired POF for $575M, Match Group went public.
- By 2017, Tinder had merged under the Match Group umbrella.
- In 2018, Rad and nine other Tinder employees sued IAC, claiming IAC purposely undervalued the startup. The lawsuit sought $2B in damages.
- 2018, acquisition of Hinge.
- December 2019, IAC announced it was spinning off its stake in Match Group.
- Jan 2020, Match Group CEO of 14 years, Mandy Ginsberg, stepped down. Former Tinder COO Shar Dubey took over.
by Avery Hartmans & Allana Akhtar
See full article at Business Insider
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