Joltid May Put An End To Skype?

When people want to make calls to others using their computer, the obvious choice would be Skype.  Skype has been around since 2003 and was developed by the same people that created the popular music sharing software Kazaa.  Skype allows people to make and receive voice and video calls using their computers, and more recently their iPhone while connected through WiFi.

But the company that provided the code to allow the software to work the way it does is now calling foul.  Joltid, the company that the software code is licensed to, claims that EBay (the parent company of Skype) violated terms of the licensing agreement and has filed a lawsuit against EBay to regain the exclusive rights to their code.  EBay denies any wrongdoing, saying they have not broken any provisions in it’s contract with Joltid and warns that if EBay loses the rights to the software code, then “Skype’s business as currently conducted would not be possible.”

EBay isn’t just laying back and waiting for something to happen, though.  They have begun development on their own code that would replace Joltid’s code.  The downside to this news is that the new code is years from being usable and according to a Skype spokesman, “It may not be successful, may result in a loss of functionality… and will, in any event, be expensive.”

For now, customers can continue to use the top rated voice and video software, but only a court ruling will tell if they will be able to use it very much longer.