Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg prevailed yesterday in one challenge to his ownership of the world’s biggest social networking site.
But another is heating up. In the latest development in litigation that a lawyer for Facebook calls “ridiculous,” Paul Ceglia contends in a revised complaint filed yesterday in federal court in Buffalo, N.Y., that he has copies of emails from Zuckerberg discussing the terms of the 2003 contract on which his claim of 50 percent ownership of the company is based, reports Bloomberg.
Ceglia is represented in the case by Robert Brownlie of DLA Piper.
A lawyer for Facebook, partner Orin Snyder of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher called this new claim of supporting emails as “ridiculous” as the original complaint filed in state court in New York, adding, in an email to Bloomberg, “This is a fraudulent lawsuit brought by a convicted felon, and we look forward to defending it in court.”
The authenticity of the emails cited by Ceglia could not be independently verified, reports the Bits blog of the New York Times.
However, Brownlie says he, too, was initially skeptical but has done the “due diligence” to show a claimed contract and emails between his client and Zuckerberg are the real deal. “We would not risk our reputation and time in getting involved in a matter we didn’t believe in,” he tells the Times.
A Business Insider post recaps the action so far in the case and explains how the alleged new evidence fits in.
Additional and related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Man Claims 84% Stake in Facebook, Gets TRO; FB Calls Suit Frivolous”
ABAJournal.com: “Did Facebook CEO Actually Sign Contract on Which 84% Ownership Claim Is Based?”
ABAJournal.com: “In ‘Social Network’ Sequel, Appellate Panel Grills Lawyer for Twins Seeking More Facebook Millions”
