Following from this as well, there is a strong enough market on ebay to keep them going anyway. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gordan Radic" <[email protected]> To: "Lino and Louie" <lino.morales at lljfm.net>; "screen access software with skype" <skypeenglish at emissives.com> Sent: Friday, July 31, 2009 3:47 PM Subject: Re: [Skypeenglish] Shock threat to shut Skype
> Hi! > I believe they will sattle this down. This is just a common case of > corporate muscling around. In the end, eBay will sign some long term > contract with Joltid or just buy it off for a billion or two. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Lino and Louie" <lino.morales at lljfm.net> > To: "skype english list" <skypeenglish at emissives.com> > Sent: Friday, July 31, 2009 3:24 PM > Subject: [Skypeenglish] Shock threat to shut Skype > > >> Someone on my Twitter point me to this article. I hope this doesn't >> happen >> to Skype next year. >> Shock threat to shut Skype >> >> Niklas Zennstrom and, inset, Janus Friis. >> >> Asher Moses >> July 31, 2009 - 1:38PM >> eBay says it may have to shut down Skype due to a licensing dispute with >> the >> founders of the internet telephony service. >> >> The surprise admission puts a cloud over the 40 million active daily >> users >> around the world who use Skype for business or to keep in touch with >> friends >> and far-flung relatives. >> >> A recent study by market researcher TeleGeography found Skype carried >> about >> 8 per cent of all international voice traffic, making it the world's >> largest >> provider of cross-border voice communications. >> >> The online auction powerhouse bought Skype from entrepreneurs Niklas >> Zennstrom and Janus Friis for $US2.6 billion in 2005, but this did not >> include a core piece of peer-to-peer communications technology that >> powers >> the software. >> >> eBay has since been licensing the technology from the founders' new >> company, >> Joltid, but the pair recently decided to revoke the licensing agreement. >> >> The matter is now the subject of a legal battle in the English High Court >> of >> Justice, with eBay trying to force Joltid to let it continue using the >> technology. >> >> >> In a quarterly report filed with the US Securities and Exchange >> Commission, >> eBay said in no uncertain terms that if it lost the right to use the >> software it would most likely have to shut Skype down. >> >> eBay said it was working on developing ''alternative software'' to that >> licensed through Joltid, but this ''may not be successful, may result in >> loss of functionality or customers even if successful, and will in any >> event >> be expensive''. >> >> ''If Skype was to lose the right to use the Joltid software as the result >> of >> the litigation, and if alternative software was not available, Skype >> would >> be severely and adversely affected and the continued operation of Skype's >> business as currently conducted would likely not be possible,'' eBay >> wrote. >> >> In the filing eBay also said that, even if it was successful in >> developing >> alternative software, the technical challenge of assuring backward >> compatibility with older versions of Skype's technology ''may be >> difficult >> to overcome''. >> >> This was echoed by analysts, with the Info-Tech Research Group's Jayanth >> Angl telling Bloomberg that ''it would be quite difficult to replace what >> they already have as the underlying component to their service''. >> >> ''There are a number of barriers to that, not the least of which are >> legal >> barriers," he said. >> >> The case is set to go to trial in June next year, which could seriously >> hinder eBay's plans to spin Skype off as a separate company in a public >> stock offering next year. >> >> Already, eBay has had to write down Skype on its books to $US1.7 billion, >> an >> admission that the business is not worth nearly as much as it originally >> paid for it. However, its revenues for the second quarter grew 25 per >> cent >> to $US170 million. >> >> But, even though Skype has not been a major financial success, it has >> succeeded in becoming the dominant internet telephony service globally. >> >> Skype has more than 480 million user accounts - almost twice as many as >> Facebook - and the application comes bundled with more than 50 mobile >> phones >> and even the Sony PSP. >> >> >> Source: smh.com.au >> >> Lino Morales and Louie Lab >> Remember, friends don't let friends go to hell. >> Email and Windows Live Messenger: >> lino.morales at lljfm.net >> Skype lino_and_louie >> Twitter: >> www.twitter.com/lino_and_louie >> For Blind Christian Men, visit: >> http://morales-family.lljfm.net/mailman/listinfo/blindmen4christ_morales-family >> to subscribe to Blind Men For Christ. >> And check out our site at: >> www.lljfm.net >> where you'll find our blog and other links. >> >> >> >> >> > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > >> >> >> Thanks for posting to the skype english list. To access scripts for the >> latest version of skype go to >> http://www.dlee.org/skype >> To access tutorials and other goodies go to >> http://www.marrie.org/skype/skype.html >> thanks and have a wonderful day. >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Skypeenglish mailing list >> Skypeenglish at emissives.com >> http://emissives.com/mailman/listinfo/skypeenglish_emissives.com > > > Thanks for posting to the skype english list. To access scripts for the > latest version of skype go to > http://www.dlee.org/skype > To access tutorials and other goodies go to > http://www.marrie.org/skype/skype.html > thanks and have a wonderful day. > > > _______________________________________________ > Skypeenglish mailing list > Skypeenglish at emissives.com > http://emissives.com/mailman/listinfo/skypeenglish_emissives.com
