Skype founders Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis have filed a copyright lawsuit against eBay, alleging the company violated copyright law by altering the VoIP service's source code, which the founders maintained control of when they sold the company to eBay.
Twitter is looking to raise €33mn in new financing at a €679bn valuation, TechCrunch reports. Twitter raised €23mn in February, from backers including Benchmark Capital and Institutional Venture Partners. It has raised a total of €37 million.
U2 has launched a mobile app for BlackBerry smartphones. The U2 Mobile Album was developed in collaboration with RIM and brings a rich visual experience with evolving and interactive content for U2’s latest album No Line On The Horizon. The application is available for free from www.blackberry.com/u2. Hong Kong’s biggest mobile operator, Hutchison, has signed Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) to a network upgrade deal. NSN will be the sole vendor and service partner in upgrading Hutch’s home network to HSPA+, with a minimum equipment purchase of nearly HK$350mn (€305mn).
Taiwan Mobile has merged with cable group kbro in a NT$32bn (€679mn) share swap with US private equity firm the Carlyle Group. Carlyle swapped its majority stake in kbro for 15.5% of Taiwan Mobile, creating the island’s largest pay TV service provider, with 1.5 million subs.
The former head of AOL’s Bebo Joanna Shields has joined Elisabeth Murdoch, the CEO of Shine Group, to create a start-up content company that marries traditional TV production “with the reach, power and engagement of social media.” The company will also drive the online engagement of Shine Group content. Shields starts as CEO of the as yet-unnamed company on October 1.
Motorola will debut Android handset Dext via Orange in the UK and France from early October. The touchscreen handset was launched last week in the US as Cliq, where it will be sold by T-Mobile, but is branded Dext in Europe. It will be available for free on 24-month Orange contracts priced at £34.26 per month.
France's lower house has approved an amended version of the controversial three-strikes ISP legislation intended to crack down on illegal downloads. The French National Assembly passed the anti-piracy bill by a 285 votes to 225, with the ruling majority UMP in favor and the Socialist Party leading opposition votes.