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Facebook Feud Heats Up

Independent Harvard alumni magazine dishes the dirt on it

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Nov 27, 2007 8:59 AM CST

(Newser) – Three former Harvard students who are suing Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg for stealing their idea are finally about to get their day in court, reports the indy Harvard alumni magazine 02138. Forensic data experts are searching  Zuckerberg’s computer hard drives, searching for source code, which the company claims is lost, that would confirm or deny intellectual property theft.

The mag details their case, going back to 2003, when they hired Zuckerberg to work on their social networking site, and thought he was doing so—until he launched Facebook instead. It also tracks Zuckerberg's not-always-consistent responses since they first raised the issue to an ethics board at Harvard. At minimum, the "blood feud" raises questions about the Facebook billionaire's honesty and ethics, 02138 concludes.

Twin brothers Cameron, left, and Tyler Winklevoss, founders of ConnectU, talk with reporters following a news conference in Boston, Wednesday, July 25, 2007. A federal judge gave the brothers and Divya Narendra until Aug. 8 to flesh out their allegations against Mark Zuckerberg, which include fraud, copyright infringement and misappropriation...
Twin brothers Cameron, left, and Tyler Winklevoss, founders of ConnectU, talk with reporters following a news conference in Boston, Wednesday, July 25, 2007. A federal judge gave the brothers and Divya...   (Associated Press)
ConnectU founders Tyler Winklevoss, left, and Cameron Winklevoss, right, who are twin brothers, and Divya Narendra pose following a news conference in Boston, Wednesday, July 25, 2007. A federal judge gave the three until Aug. 8 to flesh out their allegations against Mark Zuckerberg, which include fraud, copyright infringement and...
ConnectU founders Tyler Winklevoss, left, and Cameron Winklevoss, right, who are twin brothers, and Divya Narendra pose following a news conference in Boston, Wednesday, July 25, 2007. A federal judge...   (Associated Press)
Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg speaks to press and advertising partners at a Facebook announcement in New York, Monday, November 6, 2007. Court-authorized data experts are searching Zuckerberg's hard drives for evidence of data theft.   (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg speaks to press and advertising partners at a Facebook announcement in New York, Monday, November 6, 2007. Court-authorized data experts are searching Zuckerberg's...   (Associated Press)
Facebook.com's mastermind, Mark Zuckerberg smiles at his office in Palo Alto, Calif., in this file photo. The owners of a rival social networking site are trying to shut down Facebook.com, charging in a federal lawsuit that Facebook's founder stole their ideas while they were students at Harvard. The...
Facebook.com's mastermind, Mark Zuckerberg smiles at his office in Palo Alto, Calif., in this file photo. The owners of a rival social networking site are trying to shut down Facebook.com, charging in...   (Associated Press)
Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook page. Zuckerberg has seen his site explode in popularity in recent years.
Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook page. Zuckerberg has seen his site explode in popularity in recent years.   (Getty Images)
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