Index partner Michelangelo Volpi had been accused of using confidential information he had acquired during his tenure as CEO of Joost – the internet TV service founded by Zennstrom and Friis – while preparing the Skype bid.
The dispute between the original owners and eBay revolved around a key piece of core Skype’s P2P technology. Zennstrom and Friis had held on to the patent when they sold the company to eBay for $2.6 billion in 2005, instead licensing its use.
But after a dispute over terms, they pulled the license this year. And after eBay announced its intention to sell a majority stake in Skype in September, Zennstrom and Friis - through their P2P company Joltid - sued eBay for copyright infringement in a US court.