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On October the 4th, 2010, on vBulletin.com the currently still public InternetBrands.com (INET) has apparently commenced a lawsuit in the UK against Xenforo, and its founders, Kier, Mike and Ashley.
Adrian says: http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?363883-Internet-Brands-claims-against-Xenforo
Note that XenForo Limited earlier that week announced the first beta of their new forum product to go on sale on the 5th of October, 2010. Not 24 hours after the claim by Internet Brands against XenForo [and its founders].
The only 'response' the vastly growing community at XenForo.com has received was that unforeseen circumstances have delayed it a bit, but that it will still go on sale. Which it did, still on the 5th. (http://xenforo.com/community/threads/unforseen-circumstances-but.4743/)
Other comments have not been published about the matter by either party, besides comments towards the press, as one can read here: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/10/05/vbulletin_sues_ex_employees/
A couple of weeks have passed, and we at XenFans.com haven't expressed ourselves as of yet, as there was no confirmation of a claim actually being filed, or any details about what these claims specifically entail. The unanimous opinion about the matter so far is that Internet Brands Inc. rather bullies the competition out of the way by financially drying them out in court, rather than embracing healthy competition in an open and free market. Another strong opinion appears to be against IB that it's a low blow move. An opinion shared en-masse by current and ex-vBulletin customers, and of course XenForo customers.
Opinions can be found here (vBulletin hides it in private forums only visible by customers): http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?363884-Internet-Brands-claims-against-Xenforo and http://xenforo.com/community/threads/internet-brands-claims-against-xenforo.4727/ (XenForo closed it for further comments).
Others have also expressed themselves in blog entries, such as this customer who walks through the comments by users and the claims posted: http://www.thelawprofessor.com/internet-brands-v-xenforo-a-lawyers-opinion/ - helping fight some of the mis-assumptions that people share.
It doesn't end there, even competitor forum developers express themselves via personal blogs, such as Matt from Invision Power Services: http://mattmecham.tumblr.com/post/1243676816/how-to-lose-friends-and-alienate-people
The reason I now felt like publishing some information about this is because discussion threads about this are either being closed or aren't public, while it's an interesting topic that can have an affect on the XenForo Limited company, or the people behind it. And because today I've learned the court case number, which was confirmation for me that Internet Brands Inc has indeed filed claims against XenForo and its founders.
I wish both parties the best of luck, but regardless of outcome I feel that the damage to vBulletin's reputation is their own doing, and that's my opinion - based on my observation of the vBulletin 4 release and company/product changes in the last year or so.
Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand,
case number HC10 C0 3118
Jelsoft -v- Xenforo Ltd.
(Dated: October 4th, 2010)
If you have an opinion, information, or feedback, feel free to leave a response.
Adrian says: http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?363883-Internet-Brands-claims-against-Xenforo
"The lawsuit is about these claims: infringement of our copyrighted intellectual property, breach of contract, and unfair business practices. The suit is simple: we claim that Kier, Mike, and Ashley have infringed and violated contracts they signed with us to gain unfair business advantage. As such, Xenforo’s software unfairly stands on the shoulders of more than a decade of development by Jelsoft. Internet Brands owns this intellectual property."
Note that XenForo Limited earlier that week announced the first beta of their new forum product to go on sale on the 5th of October, 2010. Not 24 hours after the claim by Internet Brands against XenForo [and its founders].
The only 'response' the vastly growing community at XenForo.com has received was that unforeseen circumstances have delayed it a bit, but that it will still go on sale. Which it did, still on the 5th. (http://xenforo.com/community/threads/unforseen-circumstances-but.4743/)
Other comments have not been published about the matter by either party, besides comments towards the press, as one can read here: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/10/05/vbulletin_sues_ex_employees/
A couple of weeks have passed, and we at XenFans.com haven't expressed ourselves as of yet, as there was no confirmation of a claim actually being filed, or any details about what these claims specifically entail. The unanimous opinion about the matter so far is that Internet Brands Inc. rather bullies the competition out of the way by financially drying them out in court, rather than embracing healthy competition in an open and free market. Another strong opinion appears to be against IB that it's a low blow move. An opinion shared en-masse by current and ex-vBulletin customers, and of course XenForo customers.
Opinions can be found here (vBulletin hides it in private forums only visible by customers): http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?363884-Internet-Brands-claims-against-Xenforo and http://xenforo.com/community/threads/internet-brands-claims-against-xenforo.4727/ (XenForo closed it for further comments).
Others have also expressed themselves in blog entries, such as this customer who walks through the comments by users and the claims posted: http://www.thelawprofessor.com/internet-brands-v-xenforo-a-lawyers-opinion/ - helping fight some of the mis-assumptions that people share.
It doesn't end there, even competitor forum developers express themselves via personal blogs, such as Matt from Invision Power Services: http://mattmecham.tumblr.com/post/1243676816/how-to-lose-friends-and-alienate-people
The reason I now felt like publishing some information about this is because discussion threads about this are either being closed or aren't public, while it's an interesting topic that can have an affect on the XenForo Limited company, or the people behind it. And because today I've learned the court case number, which was confirmation for me that Internet Brands Inc has indeed filed claims against XenForo and its founders.
I wish both parties the best of luck, but regardless of outcome I feel that the damage to vBulletin's reputation is their own doing, and that's my opinion - based on my observation of the vBulletin 4 release and company/product changes in the last year or so.
Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand,
case number HC10 C0 3118
Jelsoft -v- Xenforo Ltd.
(Dated: October 4th, 2010)
If you have an opinion, information, or feedback, feel free to leave a response.
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