Google Patenting 'FriendRank' - Stealing Jeremy Zawodny's Idea?

Just found on Slashdot that Google is attempting to patent 'FriendRank', an idea that Jeremy Zawodny came up with in, get this, 2004!

“A computer-implemented method for displaying advertisements to members of a network comprises identifying one or more communities of members, identifying one or more influencers in the one or more communities, and placing one or more advertisements at the profiles of one or more members in the identified one or more communities.”
Way to go Google!

Patent verdict overturned as Judge Disciplines Prominent IP lawyers

Richard Matsch, Colorado's Senior District Judge, reversed a previous jury verdict in the patent infringement case of BrainLab vs. Medtronic. Not only that, Matsch also ordered plaintiff's lawyers to pay the defendant's court costs for engaging in "abuse of advocacy" and "abusive litigation conduct."