Slashdot Mirror
Facebook Sued For Alleged Theft of Data Center Design
itwbennett writes British engineering company BladeRoom Group says it contacted Facebook in 2011 about using its technique, which involves constructing data centers in a modular fashion from pre-fabricated parts. What happened next isn't clear, since much of the public version of BRG's lawsuit is redacted. But it claims Facebook ended up stealing its ideas and using them to build part of a data center in Lulea, Sweden, that opened last year. 'Facebook's misdeeds might never have come to light had it decided that simply stealing BRG's intellectual property was enough,' the company said in its lawsuit, filed Monday at the federal district court in San Jose, California. "Instead, Facebook went further when it decided to encourage and induce others to use BRG's intellectual property though an initiative created by Facebook called the 'Open Compute Project.'"
... it's apparently an exclusive concept to BRG [facepalm]
Wouldn't be the first time that Mark had blatantly stolen someone else's idea.
In the free world the media isn't government run; the government is media run.
'Facebook's misdeeds might never have come to light had it decided that simply stealing BRG's intellectual property was enough,' the company said in its lawsuit, filed Monday at the federal district court in San Jose, California.
They surely must be salivating...
"its technique, which involves constructing data centers in a modular fashion from pre-fabricated parts."
sounds kinda like how we used to build cell sites twenty-five years ago... (back when they required dedicated buildings)
Particularly after you start trying to license/sell the concepts to a lot of other companies.
How can you claim something is a trade secret if you show it to others? If you want to keep your design proprietary, patent it.
So, part of their case is that a FB guy mentioned modular hospitals last year, and they're the only ones who do that sort of thing?
Sounds a bit thin to me....
"I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
Did BRG have that concept patented?
The correct answer is 42.
If the design was so special they shouldn't have shared it on Facebook. DUH.
I would very much like to know the specifics of this case because as I see it, FB had a company come in for a sales pitch, FB opted to not use them and instead made something themselves based on a similar (or even identical) design. To my knowledge, FB didn't try to sell this tech to anyone else, and unless they just failed to mention it they also didn't sign anything saying they agreed to not duplicate the plantiff's tech on their own. Sounds like the company is just salty because they lost a huge sale and is hopeful FB will settle to avoid bad publicity.
What about a data center in a shipping container... From 2007 (or earlier)? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S...
sena@smux.net, http://smux.net/
So, was there a non-disclosure agreement? You don't have a statutory right to not have your ideas stolen.
So apparently BGM has decided that it's time to bankrupt themselves, cause I can't imagine that *anyone* would want to work with them after this kind of idiotic stunt.
that anyone on this planet is actually using Facebook to begin with. I have never been, and never will be, a use of Facebook. All of the people around me who have Facebook accounts wish they did not. Most of what I hear about Facebook from people who use the service are negative. Zuckerberg is not a brilliant guy, he just ripped off an idea. Sort of like what this article is describing. "Social media" is such an oxymoron, because the people who use it usually have no real social life to speak of.
geek n performer who performs morbid or disgusting acts, as biting off the head of a live chicken
correct me if I'm wrong... but didn't this whole concept of racks, equipment, wires, central power come from the telephone company 100 years ago?
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
You are correct - I missed that one, and I even recall Sun's announcement about them... Bitrot in the synapses is my only excuse...
Who is general failure, and why is he reading my hard drive?
Most of the claims aren't listed so it's hard to draw a conclusion.
And don't hold your breath waiting for them to be listed publicly, either.
If this is over trade secrets, the alleged trade secrets, if legitimate, will still be secret. So unless/until Facebook gets a judgement that the claims are bogus, the proceedings will be under seal.
Even if they ARE bogus it may not be in Facebook's interest to publish them, either. They might be little-known enough that exposing them to their competition might make the competitive environent tougher for Facebook.
So don't be surprised if the "secrets" and the details of the verdict or settlement remain under wraps.
Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way