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Guy Who Claims He Owns 84% Of Facebook Refiles Lawsuit
from the and-on-to-the-next-one dept
If you're successful, there's no shortage of people who will demand a cut of your success. With the Winklevoss situation nearing its close (one hopes), Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg can move on to some of the many other claims of people who say they own a piece of Facebook. If you don't recall, beyond the Winklevi, there have also been claims by a guy named Aaron Greenspan that Zuckerberg copied his idea for a Harvard-focused social network. And, perhaps even more bizarre is the claim from a guy named Paul Ceglia that he owns 84% of Facebook.
That guy claims that he had hired Zuckerberg to work on an unrelated project, and as a part of that, Mark asked Ceglia to invest $1,000 in his "Harvard facebook" project, in exchange for 50% of the company, with an additional percentage point added for each day it was delivered late. Ceglia claims that TheFacebook launched 34 days after the targeted date, and thus he deserves 84% of the company. Just as the courts were shoving the Winklevi off, Ceglia has refiled his lawsuit with more details, including alleged emails between himself and Zuckerberg concerning the investment and development of the site. The whole thing sounds more than a bit preposterous, and Facebook has claimed that the whole thing is faked, but the new emails make for interesting reading in light of the claims by the Winklevi that Mark got the idea from them. At the very least, if the emails are accurate, it sounds like Zuckerberg was working on the concept well before they were.
And while the whole thing still sounds unlikely (would Zuckerberg really be naive enough to give up 50% of a company for $1,000?), it would make for one hell of an interesting legal situation if the court determined otherwise. Of course, Facebook would clearly argue that it wouldn't matter due to statute of limitations reasons, but can you imagine how the courts would try to unwind things?
Of course, even if Ceglia won (which he almost certainly won't), don't forget that there's another guy, named Andrew Logan, who claims that he owns anything Ceglia was involved in due to a separate legal dispute, so that 84% really belongs to him.
That guy claims that he had hired Zuckerberg to work on an unrelated project, and as a part of that, Mark asked Ceglia to invest $1,000 in his "Harvard facebook" project, in exchange for 50% of the company, with an additional percentage point added for each day it was delivered late. Ceglia claims that TheFacebook launched 34 days after the targeted date, and thus he deserves 84% of the company. Just as the courts were shoving the Winklevi off, Ceglia has refiled his lawsuit with more details, including alleged emails between himself and Zuckerberg concerning the investment and development of the site. The whole thing sounds more than a bit preposterous, and Facebook has claimed that the whole thing is faked, but the new emails make for interesting reading in light of the claims by the Winklevi that Mark got the idea from them. At the very least, if the emails are accurate, it sounds like Zuckerberg was working on the concept well before they were.
And while the whole thing still sounds unlikely (would Zuckerberg really be naive enough to give up 50% of a company for $1,000?), it would make for one hell of an interesting legal situation if the court determined otherwise. Of course, Facebook would clearly argue that it wouldn't matter due to statute of limitations reasons, but can you imagine how the courts would try to unwind things?
Of course, even if Ceglia won (which he almost certainly won't), don't forget that there's another guy, named Andrew Logan, who claims that he owns anything Ceglia was involved in due to a separate legal dispute, so that 84% really belongs to him.
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Schpelling
I could swear, "Winklevi" should be spelled "Winklevii"
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Read the emails
Remember Zuck had no idea that facebook would explode the way it did. At the time it was just an online college year book he was trying to get off the ground.
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When you are small, those things don't seem so ridiculous, although I don't think this is the case here with Facebook at all.
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OLD NEWS...
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Re:
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Re: Read the emails
It's just another sour grapes lawsuit from a failed businessman who wants a piece of the pie that an old acquaintance has produced, even if it is grounded in some kind of reality.
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Re: Re: Read the emails
Of course he doesn't deserve any credit for the success that facebook has become, but technically if he upped the cash to get the project started and Zuck agreed to give him a 50% share in return, then isn't he legally entitled to it?
Is it any different to somebody buying a stack of penny shares is a tiny company and reaping the rewards when they become a megacorp?
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No Shortage Of Hucksters
Ever inventor who produces an invention with significant economic value faces this problem. Some sleazy marketing huckster comes along, steals one or more inventions, combines them into a product and beats their chest while claiming to be innovators.
It is a good thing that I have not been holding my breath waiting for Mike to show us one of his inventions. Marketing drivel does not count as an invention.
Ronald J. Riley,
Speaking only on my own behalf.
Affiliations:
President - www.PIAUSA.org - RJR at PIAUSA.org
Executive Director - www.InventorEd.org - RJR at InvEd.org
Senior Fellow - www.PatentPolicy.org
President - Alliance for American Innovation
Caretaker of Intellectual Property Creators on behalf of deceased founder Paul Heckel
Washington, DC
Direct (202) 318-1595 - 9 am to 9 pm EST.
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Well...
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Re: No Shortage Of Hucksters
On a more serious note, all of your websites need some serious attention from a professional web designer. They look like amateur hack jobs from the late '90s.
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Re: No Shortage Of Hucksters
Doing all he can to protect the IP scam via a website with a prominent DONATE HERE at the top. Not transparent all!
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