back to article Skype founders drop licence threat against eBay

A legal row that threatened the existence of Skype has been settled, with the free net phone service's founders regaining a significant portion of the firm from eBay. Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis will get 14 per cent of Skype and seats on its board under the deal, announced today. In return the pair will make a " …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Index Ventures?

    Where they not the original backers of Skype in the very early days?

    If so its interesting that the re structuring has put them off.

  2. Jay Jaffa
    IT Angle

    Parasites both

    I'd have to say I'm not a big fan of these arrogant fuc*monkeys. I met them in a restaurant in Luxembourg once - rude arrogant fuckers both. It's fucked-up that eBay and their lawyers weren't switched on enough to sop the obvious gaps - overpaid clowns in suits. However with the daylight robbery that the U$2.6Bn was, they've made well enough money out of the piss+wind that is Skype.

    Let's hope they give it to charity - right thing to do.

  3. Tom 101

    @ Jay Jaffa

    Some may say jealous at all?

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @Tom 101

    Either that, or they really are arrogant fuc*monkeys.

    It sounds like Jay Jaffa might be in a better position to judge that than you are, even if only because he has at least been in the same room as them at some point

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Re: Jay Jaffa

    God bless 'em. I don't like the closed-proprietary nature, but I have to say Skype is a great product. I've lived in parts of the world where I'd otherwise have to pay $$/hr, but Skype worked beautifully instead. And when eBay bought it, I knew they'd fuck it up. These guys made their money *and* kept control. If they didn't I bet it would be plastered with ads by now, cost a fortune, and drop calls.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @ Jay Jaffa

    So, you were a waiter in a restaurant, and they didn't give you a tip, and you're sorely pissed,STILL.

    I don't think El Reg readers really give 2 flying fu++s about your gripes.

    On the other hand, remarkable acumen by Joltid to shaft eBay, twice, for the same item. Perhaps there are lessons to be learnt from these people. Jay, maybe you should pay more attention to your clientele, not all tips come in monetary fashion, perhaps you brush up on your Jeffery Archer, dear boy.

  7. dave lawless
    Boffin

    Someone at Ebay clicked through the EULA

    Do you think Zennström and Friis planned it as soon as someone started sniffing round to buy them. That takes some balls. Smart lawyering at Ebay might have blown the whole deal.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Alert

    @VoodooTrucker

    "If they didn't [keep control] I bet [Skype] would be plastered with ads by now, cost a fortune and drop calls."

    Not so sure about that. If anything, I suspect Zennström and Friis had little control over Skype after eBay bought it. If they did then think what the people who also created the spyware-riddled KaZaA could have done to your systems by now...

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