31 July 2009 | Author: O. Gaywood Media Optimiser

A licensing disagreement has put the future of Skype in doubt

eBay has announced that it may have to close down Skype because of a dispute over licensing with Joltid, the founders of the service.

Skype was bought from creators Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom in 2005 for $2.6billion but - rather clumsily - this deal did not include eBay owning a major piece of the technology that powers the software. Ever since, eBay has been licensing the much-needed technology from Joltid but this agreement has recently been revoked by the Skype founders.

eBay, clearly grasping the seriousity of the situation which may leave more than 40 million active users - and 480 million user accounts - without their preferred messaging system, has taken Joltid to the English High Court of Justice to try to get things sorted in their favour.

An eBay statement said: "If Skype was to lose the right to use the Joltid software as the result of the litigation, and if alternative software was not available, Skype would be severely and adversely affected and the continued operation of Skype's business as currently conducted would likely not be possible."

Alternative software is being worked on by eBay, but there was no promise that this would be available soon, if it would offer full functionality or even if it would work at all.

The court case is planned to begin in June 2010 which could scuttle eBay's plans to make Skype a separate company next year.