| In recent weeks a legal dispute between Skype's | | | | So what impact is this dispute likely to have? eBay |
| former owner and current owners has hit the | | | | have admitted that they may have to shut down |
| headlines. Former owners Joltid Ltd have accused the | | | | Skype should they loose the case. This will have a |
| current owners, eBay, of infringing copyright rules | | | | huge impact in the VoIP market, as Skype is the |
| with regards to the technology used to run the VoIP | | | | most popular brand within this part of the |
| service. Joltid have revoked the licence for the | | | | telecommunications industry. Joltid have expressed an |
| software and eBay, who deny they have done | | | | interest in buying Skype back and eBay could be |
| anything wrong, are taking the company to court, | | | | forced to sell it to them if they don't have a licence |
| with the case due to begin in June 2010.eBay bought | | | | to use the technology themselves. The company |
| Skype in 2005 for around $2.6 billion, which has since | | | | without the use of the technology will certainly not |
| gone up to $3.1 billion due to Skype's impressive | | | | be worth $4 billion. For now they are trying to |
| performance, as set out in the original contract. Since | | | | develop their own alternative technology, but doing |
| this deal Skype's success has continued on an | | | | this without breaking copyright laws will not be easy. |
| upward curve. In 2008 Skype's pay-for service, | | | | If they manage to do this though, they will be able |
| Skype Out, was responsible for almost eight and a | | | | to use it as they own the Skype brand and there is |
| half billion calls worldwide. eBay have been looking to | | | | nothing in their contract with Joltid to say that they |
| sell the company since the beginning of 2009 for an | | | | can't use it with another piece of software. |
| estimated $4 billion. In the deal with Joltid, eBay didn't | | | | This will be an interesting story to watch, and |
| buy the technology used to run the software but | | | | something that could have a huge impact on the |
| leased it. eBay have revealed how the technology | | | | VoIP industry, although many experts are expecting |
| works in some other legal cases and according to | | | | that the two parties will come to some sort of |
| Joltid this breaks the rules of their agreement. | | | | agreement. |