Things are heating up in the social media world! Twitter has been found accusing the Meta Platforms of stealing trade secrets to build their new and shiny microblogging site. This could potentially kickstart a legal battle between these social media giants.
However, Twitter might have a tough time making their case if they decide to sue.
In a letter sent on Wednesday, Twitter went all “you stole our secrets!” on Meta (Well, not really, but somewhat similar). Twitter has been claiming that Meta used Twitter’s precious trade secrets to create its own social media platform called Threads. And to make matters worse, Twitter says Meta hired a bunch of ex-Twitter employees who took home some devices and documents they should not have. Twitter also insists that Meta deliberately assigned these ex-employees to work on Threads.
We are not sure if Twitter is all in and will file a lawsuit just yet. Therefore, where the matter is leading is not yet clear.
So far, Twitter has not responded to requests for comments (come on, Twitter, don’t go and leave us hanging!). Meanwhile, Meta’s spokesperson, Andy Stone, went on the controversial Threads and dropped a bomb claiming, “None of our engineering team members were former Twitter employees!”
Oh, snap!
Now, let’s not forget that similar cases have popped up before. There have been similar controversies in the tech world. Companies have been accusing each other of stealing trade secrets when they come up with new products. These battles can get both complicated and nasty, dragging on for years and from court to court.
However, what is evident here is that Twitter has got the burden of proof. They need to show that Meta swiped their trade secrets to create Threads.
Meta seems to have dropped a bombshell by launching Threads. Critics feel that it could seriously challenge Twitter’s position in the social media game. Ever since billionaire Elon Musk swooped into Twitter, the platform has been losing its appeal. Users accuse Twitter of giving them the cold shoulder. However, Meta’s move could change the game.
Threads have a striking resemblance to Twitter. But new social media sites come up with these similar features every day.
When it comes to trade-secret cases, courts have made it very clear that they want to see if the company, Twitter, made it clear to their employees that the specific information was indeed a top-secret trade secret. This leaves no space for ague agreements.
Professor Sharon Sandeen at Mitchell Hamline School of Law says that the courts have previously asked companies how the employees were expected to know what’s truly confidential.
This whole situation has some serious implications for these big-shot social media players. The outcome of this battle is up in the air, and only time will tell. Till then, we all simply stay tuned.
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