Facebook saga not over as Winklevoss twins told to accept US$65m

12 Apr 2011

Just as it seems Mark Zuckerberg had finally dispensed with Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, who were told to accept a US$65m settlement, a new lawsuit has been filed citing compelling evidence against the Facebook founder.

Yesterday, a US appeals court ruled the Winklevoss twins – whose claim Zuckerberg allegedly stole their idea during their time at Harvard became a plot in the Academy Award-winning movie The Social Network – had to accept the cash and stock settlement with Facebook.

Yesterday, in front of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, chief judge Alex Kozinski said the litigation surrounding Facebook had come to an end. However, it seems the Winklevoss twins have no intention of giving up and their attorney is understood to be seeking a hearing before a larger group of judges.

New evidence

The moment of victory for Facebook, however, seems mired by a new development.

New York businessman Paul Ceglia last year filed a lawsuit against Zuckerberg claiming that a contract with Zuckerberg to design a website entitled him to an 84pc stake in Facebook.

In an amended lawsuit filed yesterday, Ceglia claims new evidence in the form of an email sent by Zuckerberg in 2003 in which he wanted a website built in a hurry before a group of upperclassmen – the Winklevoss twins with their ConnectU site, perchance – got there before him.

“If we don’t make a move soon, I think we will lose the advantage,” Zuckerberg is alleged to have wrote.

Facebook has in the past dismissed Ceglia’s claims as fraudulent.

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

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