Sift Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström Sweden has concluded a settlement with eBay on Skype, which means they climbed 14 percent stake in the new ownership structure. It happened after a legal struggle for power of the greats. With the new agreement, Skype will be divided in three main shareholders. Ebay retain 30 percent of the shares, and Friis / Zennström takes over 14 percent. Majority shareholder with 56 percent of the shares is an investment group with the Netscape founder Marc Andreesen Spider.
EBay bought Skype in 2005 for 2.6 billion U.S. dollars, but forgot to get the rights to the underlying P2P technology in trading. It owned Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström still firm Joltid (named after a CD called Christmas, who was on the table because they would find in a dictionary). Friis and Zennström, through lawsuits pressed himself into Skype again. If not, eBay and investment group settled risked that they be left with a worthless Skype because Friis would pull P2P technology.
The big loser
Friis and Zennström has also succeeded in pushing investment firm Index Ventures off the market. Index Ventures was among the first investors in Skype. It was supposed to have taken over a majority stake in Skype along with Marc Andreesen group. But Friis and Zennström sued Index Ventures and Mike Volpi. Volpi was director of Friis and Zennström Joost, but went with Index Ventures, while Index Ventures and Andreesen announced their next purchase of Skype shares. Friis / Zennström was furious Volpi, accusing him of having taken important trade secrets with the Joost and Joltid over to Index Ventures. Now, Friis and Zennström got their revenge against Volpi and Index Ventures, which is quite maneuver out of the trade.
“Even though Skype has the potential to be a great investment, then the grounds of trade changed so they no longer match our investment criteria, and we have therefore decided not to participate in trade” are Index Ventures quoted in eBay’s official notice .
Thus stands Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström as the major victors of the legal game on Skype. They will not take over just 14 percent of the shares, but also get seat on the board. On the other hand takes over the lease on the Skype P2P technology from Joltid and pins also make a “significant sum of money” as it says. EBay receive 1,9 billion dollars for the sale of 70 percent of the shares
