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The founders and chief technologists behind Skype, the world’s leading VoIP company, have been sued for allegedly engaging in corrupt business practices. Nikklas Zennstrom, Janus Friis and Blue Moon Ou, the firm reportedly contracted to develop Skype technology, are named in a RICO Suit filed by StreamCast Networks. Stream Cast, a Texas-based firm, is credited with the development of Morpheus, and claims that embedded FastTrack P2P technology has migrated from Kazaa to Sharman Networks to incorporation in Skype. The RICO Suit, obtained by industry blogger Andy Abramson, is normally reserved for organised criminals and racketeers, indeed it was originally conceived to destroy the mafia. Yet a handful of companies have been prosecuted under the decades-old legislation, known as the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. " There are some who would describe the use of RICO as sledgehammer tactics," said Roger Sinclair, legal consultant with Egos Ltd – " but after all, this is the US – the land where all’s fair in love, war, and in the courtroom." The filed suit suggests StreamCast believes Zennstrom, Friis and Blue Moon Ou unlawfully sold on the P2P technology, despite a prior agreement giving StreamCast ‘right of first refusal.’ In other words, Zennstrom’s brainchild of FastTrack P2P should not have been sold to Sharman Networks, makers of Kazaa, until StreamCast was offered the first chance to buy the technology. Abramson’s disclosures reveal StreamCast is charging the said-defendants with eleven causes of action and is seeking a temporary restraining order and relief by the courts over which entity should own the disputed P2P technology. He predicted, “This whole thing may also get settled out of court, which is what I suspect will happen and then no one in the outside world ever know the outcome, which may be why eBay, as a public entity was not named in suit as it provides the maneuvering room to…do just that.” Mar 28, 2006 Email this article Printer friendly page Previous Page
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