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Dating app Bumble sues Match Group for $400 million

Following Match Group's lawsuit against Bumble for patent infringement, Bumble files a suit of its own.

Erin Carson Former Senior Writer
Erin Carson covered internet culture, online dating and the weird ways tech and science are changing your life.
Expertise Erin has been a tech reporter for almost 10 years. Her reporting has taken her from the Johnson Space Center to San Diego Comic-Con's famous Hall H. Credentials
  • She has a master's degree in journalism from Syracuse University.
Erin Carson
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Bumble is suing Match Group.

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All's fair in love and lawsuits.

Dating app Bumble filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Match Group, which owns dating platforms like OkCupid, Match and Tinder, asking for $400 million in damages.

The suit alleges that while looking to buy Bumble, Match Group gathered information on the company and then filed a lawsuit for patent infringement.

"Match tried to poison Bumble in the investment market," according to Bumble's filing, and "wrongfully disparage the Bumble platform."

In a statement Thursday, Match Group called the lawsuit petulant and meritless.  

"Last week, Bumble claimed our complaint was baseless and won't affect them, and this week they claim it is 'chilling' the sale of their company," the statement said. "We obviously think their lawsuit has no substance."

In 2014, Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd sued Tinder, alleging sexual harassment and discrimination during her time working there at the app's beginning.  

Update, March 29 at 10:39 a.m. PT: Adds comment from Match Group.