Sep 30 2009
The Best Laid M&A Plans? How A Dispute Over Ownership of Critical IP May Threaten eBay’s Sale of Skype
News reports in recent weeks have revealed how disputes over the ownership of certain critical IP may derail eBay’s $1.9 billion deal to sell a stake in the well-known internet communications company Skype. In the latest development companies owned by the founders of Skype filed additional lawsuits last week against eBay and its future investors. At the heart of the dispute is the peer-to-peer technology called “global index” (“GI”) that is critical to Skype’s success. Somewhat surprisingly, the GI technology, which was developed by Skype’s founders, Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom, is not owned by eBay or Skype. Rather it is owned by Joltid Ltd., a company controlled by Friis and Zennstrom. Continue Reading »
for Playlist