Web designer claims 84% ownership of Facebook

A lawsuit filed against Facebook Inc. is raising the question of whether Mark Zuckerberg is the owner of the phenomenally popular social networking site.

Paul D. Ceglia of Wellsville, N.Y., filed the lawsuit in New York Superior Court on June 30. The web site designer alleges that he signed a contract with Zuckerberg, the site's founder and CEO, in 2003 that entitles him to 84% ownership of the company.

According to court documents, Ceglia claims he had a written agreement with Zuckerberg to design and build the site that eventually turned into the wildly successful Facebook. He also alleges that he was paid $1,000 for the work and for a 50% stake in the site, along with an extra 1% for every day until the Web site was completed.

That, according to Ceglia's suit, adds up to an 84% ownership of the social network, which has more than 500 million users.

Facebook, however, says that's simply not the case.

"We believe this suit is completely frivolous and we will fight it vigorously," said Andrew Noyes, a Facebook spokesman, in an e-mail to Computerworld.

:story: Full story: Computerworld