Facebook busted German social network StudiVZ for creating an exact replica of Facebook save for the difference in the theme’s color. StudiVZ in its response added that it has received any complaints in relation to the lawsuit. The lawsuit mentioned that StudiVZ is accused of running Facebook’s knockoff.
Michael Arrington reported that StudiVZ voiced no comment as they are yet to see the lawsuit’s terms but filed a declaration in the District Court in Stuttgart, Germany stating that:
The responsible German court declare that the claims made by Facebook are without merit..
That wasn’t it, the CEO of StudiVZ, Marcus Riecke called Facebook arrogant and declared that the motive behind Facebook’s current accusations being a move to initiate a propaganda that enables it to gain superiority in the Social Networking scene globally. He added:
Now that Facebook, despite trying hard, has not been successful in the German market, the company seeks to obstruct StudiVZ through court action. Their strategy appears to be: If you can’t beat them, sue them. There are numerous social networks. Facebook was not the first and certainly isn’t the only one. By attempting to harm studiVZ through a meritless California lawsuit, Facebook is arrogantly laying claim to an international monopoly over social networking sites that the facts show it does not deserve.
However one thing that makes these comments void is that StudiVZ maintains such great resemblance to what Facebook. To make their opinion count and to cut off the lawsuit’s bills draining their revenue off StudiVZ has to set itself up at creating a different interface. It’s the number one social networking site in Germany; they can definitely save themselves from playing courts with Facebook.
8 Trackbacks / Pingbacks for this entry:
[...] accusing StudiVZ, a German social network, of copying their interface completely (an act of jealousy as StudiVZ responded). Well this time things are a bit [...]
[...] network, StudiVZ of copying Facebook’s design and the German social network terming it to be pure jealousy arising from Facebook’s failure to capture German social networking market. The latest report [...]
[...] has sort of jumped into a limbo of problems, from getting accused to accusing one of stealing the design and issuing advices they find hard to [...]
[...] network worldwide to controversies regarding copying design or taking things to the court and failed attempts of a buy out. There is one more issue that Facebook keeps bringing forward, that of [...]
[...] services to more users, Nimbuzz has decided to join hands with Germany’s largest social network, StudiVZ also one that has been a part of accusations of copying Facebook’s design. The current deal plans to [...]
[...] may have been worried losing grounds in Germany. But the leading social network has decided to expand its roots into the European roots by opening [...]
[...] thought the battle of StudiVZ with Facebook over copying design was the last one I will see, but not anymore as German PC company is out with [...]
[...] are quite problematic when it comes to StudiVZ, the German Facebook. It began with allegations that said it copied the Facebook design all the way to falling prey to [...]