Facebook founder in the dock for 'stealing idea'

by Charlie McCathie, Brand Republic 23-Jul-07, 12:20

LONDON - Mark Zuckerberg, founder of the social networking giant Facebook, will be facing court this week accused of stealing the idea for the site from fellow students.

Zuckerberg, 23, stands accused of ripping off three former Harvard students, who claim they came up with the idea for Facebook and recruited Zuckerberg to work on it.

Cameron Winklevoss, his twin brother Tyler, and Divya Narendra claim that they employed Zuckerberg as a programmer in November 2003, but he went on to freeze them out of their own idea.

They allege that Zuckerberg stole the idea, source code and business plan, launching the concept as Facebook in February 2004.

The Winklevosses and Narendra will ask for total control of Facebook and its assets, plus damages, which could total $1bn. Facebook is now being given a pricetag of up to $10bn.

The suit alleges copyright infringement, stealing trade secrets, fraud and breach of contract. Zuckerberg has filed a counter suit of defamation.

The claimants have since launched ConnectU, a similar social networking site that has not achieved the success of its counterpart.

Zuckerberg has already turned down a £1bn offer for Facebook from Yahoo! last year, and the site is currently attracting 150,000 new members a day.

Last week Facebook made its first acquisition with the purchase of Paraky.

Comments

Jon Clarke - 23/07/2007

I'm guessing Myspace and Bebo etc are hoping that Facebook gets closed down, I'm amazed this wasn't picked up earlier, we found it here last week http://www.mediastarz.co.uk/forum/topic/show?id=732382%3ATopic%3A5541

EmmaJane Patterson - 23/07/2007

facebook wont get closed down whatever the outcome and im sure it will take forever. Good on Zuckerberg I say !

Simon Hamer - 23/07/2007

As if Zuckergerg (only in America would you have law suits with names liek this) didn't have enough to worry about with student loans and the like.

Craig Miller - 23/07/2007

We all know it's dog-eat-dog in business so I say fair play to Zucker whatever his name is. You don't get rich by being nice just read Branson's autobiography and you'll see that under the smile there is an extremely dodgy character. I'd sell Facebook now and spend the money - these sites only last for a year maxium before the users dry up and move elsewhere. Just look at the myspace emigration to facebook. sell sell sell!