ConnectU gets little encouragement from Facebook case judge

Stephen Withers
Thursday, 26 July 2007 12:29

Your IT - Home IT

ConnectU's court case against rival social networking site Facebook doesn't seem to be going too well, with the judge noting a paucity of evidence.

In a nutshell, ConnectU claims that its ideas were pilfered by Mark Zuckerberg while he was doing software and database development for the site. Zuckerberg launched Facebook (originally Thefacebook) before ConnectU was completed.

Zuckerberg and ConnectU co-founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss were fellow Harvard students at the time. According to ConnectU's lawyer, Zuckerberg was to become one of the shareholders in the company.

The problem, as Judge Douglas Woodluck apparently sees it, is that no evidence of a contract between the parties has been produced. "Dorm room chitchat does not make a contract," he said.

The ConnectU founders have been given until August 8 to present evidence to back their allegations, which include misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of confidence and fraud. Facebook will then have two weeks to respond.

Zuckerberg did not complete his degree - something he shares with fellow Harvard alumnus Bill Gates. Indeed, according to an article published in Fast Company, Zuckerberg was partly inspired by a presentation by Gates to take what was initially a leave of absence in order to build the Facebook business.