Ardent Health adopts AI-based care automation platform Qventus
The company will be deploying Qventus’ Perioperative Solution to optimize its robotics program
Read more...(Updated to reflect comment from Pinterest)
Tell me if you've heard this one before: a social network becomes very popular, very fast, causing people to come out of the woodwork claiming that the whole thing was their idea in the first place. Sounds like a good idea for a movie, eh?
At this point, this scenario seems almost like a rite of passage, and a sure sign that the company is making some kind of impact in the space.
This time it is PInterest that is getting sued by a man named Theodore F. Schroeder, who is alleging misappropriation, unjust enrichment and breach of fiduciary duty against Pinterest and its early investor Brian Cohen.
According to the suit, Schroeder "originated the ideas that led to the popular, ever-growing Pinterest website."
In 2005, Schroeder, along with two friends, came up with the idea for "a web application that would allow Internet users to share information about themselves in ways very different from thepopular social networks like Friendster, MySpace and Facebook by focusing on such users'interests posted to such user's 'board.'" The company was named RendezVoo, and was later changed to Skoopwire.
Cohen was eventually brought on as a "Entrepreneurial Mentor" and became a partner, along with Schroeder and his two friends. Throughout 2007 and 2008, the suit says, "Cohen learned about Plaintiffs ideas and all related technology and business plans. Cohen worked with Plaintiff and Plaintiffs two colleagues to further develop Plaintiffs ideas. Cohen caused the project to deadlock so he could steal the core ideas for himself and freeze out the Plaintiff from reaping any benefits."
Then, in March 2012, Schroeder says he learned that Cohen had invested in Pinterest "when he read an article in which Cohen bragged about being Pinterest's 'first investor' and meeting the founders of Pinterest at a business plan competition."
The suit alleges that Cohen stole "ideas that underlie Pinterest in violation of an understanding not to disclose or otherwise share Plaintiffs ideas."
The lawsuit says the similarities between RendezVoo/Skoopwire and Pinterest include: the basic idea of using a social network for product discovery; allowing users to express themselves through photos, text and hyperlink; and the idea to appeal to women.
Here is how the suit lays out the case:
"The bottom line is that it’s illegal to steal an idea for your own benefit without regard to the originator of that idea. Here, Mr. Cohen joined an existing enterprise in which Mr Schroeder had a majority interest, and then took without permission or right Mr. Schroeder’s ideas, concepts, web application and technology," Schroeder's attorney, Richard Scheff of Montgomery McCracken, told AllThingsD, who also broke this story on Friday.
“The lawsuit against Pinterest is baseless and we will fight it aggressively," a Pinterest spokesperson told Vatornews.
The rise Pinterest was one of the biggest social media stories of 2012.
A recent Nielsen report revealed that Pinterest has seen the most growth out of any other social network this year. Pinterest saw an increase of 1,047% among its PC users, and an increase of 1,698% among its mobile app users. For those visiting the site from the mobile Web, usage skyrocketed 4,225%, compared to 85% for Facebook and 140% for Twitter.
Someone trying to claim credit for an extremely successful idea after the fact? I think this story was inevitable.
See the entire lawsuit below:
(Image source: https://sociable360.blogspot.com)
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