In the same week that OpenTable has been making all kinds of headlines as it prepares for its initial public offering, the resy service has been hit with a suspiciously-timed patent infringement lawsuit.
The SF-based OpenTable is accused of violating patents from former rival (and now-defunct) MonkeyRules.com, including one for "the ability to search for and make restaurant reservations," which we'd guess is rather important.
The Wall Street Journal said the filing would happen anyway:
OpenTable could not immediately be reached for comment and is in a quiet period. But the online restaurant reservation service appears confident in its IPO. On Tuesday morning, the same day OpenTable amended its S-1 filing to disclose this lawsuit, underwriters for the company boosted its estimated price range to $16 to $18 per share from $12 to $14 per share. The company will offer about 1.57 million shares, while existing stockholders will sell about 1.43 million shares, according to a regulatory filing.
Earlier this week OpenTable set its IPO terms (3 million shares at $12-$14 each), but in the face of a recession that has hit the restaurant industry particularly hard, the resy company actually turned a profit last quarter.
