Groupon grows, sues itself

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the folks behind Groupon must be floating on air.

The coupon site has spawned dozens of knockoffs trying to capitalize on what is being called "social commerce," and birthed one of the oddest class action lawsuits ever with Groupon suing itself on behalf of unsatisfied customers.

For the uninitiated, Groupon offers one featured deal a day. Consumers can buy into the deal and once a specified number of people show interest, the deal is on. It takes the concept of buying in bulk to the masses.

Groupon began in Chicago in October 2008, and has since expanded to 40 cities. According to Groupon founder and CEO, Andrew Mason, the company will soon double in size, ending 2010 with 80 cities. Good news for deal seeking readers, to date nearly 2.3 million Groupon's have been sold.