STREAMCAST NETWORKS FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST EBAY, SKYPE AND OTHERS |
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Morpheus Owner Seeks Injunction to Stop Distribution of eBay's Skype Technology Los Angeles, CA May 23, 2006 - StreamCast Networks, Inc., the distributor of the popular peer-to-peer software Morpheus, today announced it has filed a lawsuit against eBay and twenty-one other defendants. StreamCast alleges RICO Act, Antitrust and other claims and seeks a worldwide injunction on the sale and marketing of eBay’s new Skype Internet voice communication products as well as billions of dollars in unspecified damages. The lawsuit, first filed earlier this year was amended in a filing with Federal Court in the Central District of California, in downtown Los Angeles on Monday, May 22nd. “We are taking action because we believe the rights to the Skype and FastTrack technologies were swept out from under our feet, and our 28 million Morpheus users were stolen from us,” said Michael Weiss, CEO for StreamCast Networks. “The real story needs to be told.” The suit states that the original Kazaa co-founders, Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis, profited handsomely from the sale of Skype to eBay only after they and others engaged in a conspiracy through which they, among other things, misappropriated assets and a customer base belonging to StreamCast and illegally and secretly transferred away the rights to the FastTrack technology. Skype allows free voice calling via peer-to-peer software. Industry insiders have long been suspicious as to how Morpheus and its 28 million users were knocked off the FastTrack network. “The Complaint alleges that many of the defendants engaged in a conspiracy and shut Morpheus out of the FastTrack P2P market and failed to honor an agreement with StreamCast that it had the right to acquire the FastTrack technology and other assets,” said Matthew A. Neco, General Counsel for StreamCast Networks, Inc. “The sale of Skype to eBay was made possible through a scheme by many of the defendants to misappropriate the FastTrack peer-to-peer technology that rightfully belongs to StreamCast,” added outside Counsel Dan Woods of the global law firm, White & Case. “We’ve now added eBay as a defendant to this lawsuit.” Charles Baker, of the Houston-based firm of Porter & Hedges, Dan Woods of the Global firm White & Case, and StreamCast’s General Counsel Matthew A. Neco lead the legal team. Note to Editors: The StreamCast complaint will be available online. The company has created a website https://streamcastnetworks.com/FullPress-vs.html that serves as an information source. It also includes updated background in the ongoing MGM v. Grokster et. al. case. About StreamCast Networks, Inc. StreamCast Networks, Inc., developers and distributors of the popular Morpheus file-sharing and search software—now in its 5th year of revolutionizing Internet-based digital media distribution and distributed peer-to-peer technologies. Morpheus provides creators and copyright holders the ability to sell their content to a large and growing targeted market of peer-to-peer users. Morpheus incorporates NEOnet technology, the most significant enhancement to file-sharing search technology since its launch in April 2001. Over 150 million copies of Morpheus have been downloaded according to CNET’s download.com. More information is located at streamcastnetworks.com, www.morpheus.com, and www.neonetwork.com. The new Morpheus 5.2 is available for FREE download at www.morpheus.com. Media Contact: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . © 2006 StreamCast Networks, Inc.. Morpheus™ is a product of StreamCast Networks, Inc. NEOnet™ is a product of, and Neo Network™ is a trademark of Gnuterra Corporation. All rights, including copyrights, trademarks, and patents pending and issued are reserved to the respective rights holders and licensors. Morpheus’ use of the names, marks, or logos of its competitors or P2P networks is not intended to imply that Morpheus (StreamCast Networks, Inc.) or any of its competitors is or are in any way associated or affiliated with, acquiring, or endorsing each other. # # #
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