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from the won't-anyone-think-of-the-lawyers? dept.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is taking Shakespeare's phrase "let's kill all the lawyers" to a different level. On Monday, he sued many of the attorneys who represented a New Yorker named Paul Ceglia, the man who claimed Zuckerberg promised him half of Facebook back when Zuckerberg was an 18-year-old Harvard University student.
"The lawyers representing Ceglia knew or should have known that the lawsuit was a fraud—it was brought by a convicted felon with a history of fraudulent scams, and it was based on an implausible story and obviously forged documents. In fact, Defendants’ own co-counsel discovered the fraud, informed the other lawyers, and withdrew. Despite all this, Defendants vigorously pursued the case in state and federal courts and in the media," Facebook said in a New York Supreme Court suit [PDF].
Ceglia faces trial next year on accusations that his lawsuit—in which he claimed half ownership of Facebook—was a fraud. He has pleaded not guilty and faces a maximum 40-year prison term if convicted.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 21 2014, @09:42PM
I know this line was put in to try to bestow a sense of worldliness and to give off an air of being well-read, but not only does it not make any sense within the context of the paragraph, but AnonTechie clearly doesn't know the context of the line in the play. I understand that you're putting your quote-a-day calendar to good use, but if you don't know what the hell the quote means, you shouldn't embarrass yourself by using it.
(Score: 2) by skullz on Tuesday October 21 2014, @09:53PM
Please, enlighten us. Because my source [enotes.com] seems to think this was a ploy by someone who was trying to curry favor with a guy who wanted to set himself up as king after getting drunk so it makes just as much sense as when anyone else uses it.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 21 2014, @10:33PM
And how is Zuckerberg taking this "to a different level" unless it means that he is taking it to a meaning that is completely different than any interpretation of the Shakespeare line (except, of course, for the fact that "lawyer" is in the line and this is a story with lawyers in it), which in that case would be correct.
For me, I like to say that I'm taking the phrase "There was never yet philosopher that could endure the toothache patiently" to a different level when I use dental floss. Hmmm, I sound pretty damned profound, don't I?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 21 2014, @10:54PM
I took it in the meaning you attribute to the phrase. That Zuck is making an example of these guys in order to intimidate anyone from suing him and/or facebook for any reason, legitimate or not. He's not literally killing them, but he's doing the next best thing he can to squash any threat to his dominance.
(Score: 2) by Ryuugami on Wednesday October 22 2014, @04:45AM
He's not literally killing them, but he's doing the next best thing he can to squash any threat to his dominance.
I'd say this means that the different level he's taking it to is actually one or more levels below the original phrase. To take it to a higher level he'd have to, I dunno, burn their bodies and piss on the ashes or something.
If a shit storm's on the horizon, it's good to know far enough ahead you can at least bring along an umbrella. - D.Weber
(Score: 1) by lizardloop on Wednesday October 22 2014, @07:57AM
It's just another example of "click bait" phrasing that seems to be creeping in to every news head line. It's sad that editors allow it on this site.