A battle between two of the world’s browsers, owned Norwegian Opera and American Firefox, can cost the Norwegian musician and product designer Trond Werner Hansen (36) expensive.
When Hansen at a morning meeting with Firefox owner Mozilla last summer presented new ideas for how the browser would look like in the future, the alarm sounded by Opera Software in Norway. Opera believes Hansen has brought trade secrets from Opera and shared them with the competitor, and has sued Hansen 20 million.
– It is both sad and incomprehensible, says Trond Werner Hansen.
Decorating
Since the late 1990s until the fall of 2010, he worked a total of more than eight years for Opera Software. In 2012 he worked as a consultant Firefox.
conflict is about the seemingly small adjustments in browsers, such as the reorganization of the search buttons and location of users’ favorites.
Opera Software
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Opera Software believes that Hansen has taken his knowledge Opera’s estate and shared it with the competitor, it emerges from documents submitted to the court. Opera notes that Hansen’s presentation at Mozilla was shot and fell on the websites of a number of technology newspapers and blogs.
Trond Werner Hansen said this was the first ideas he shared with Opera, then with Mozilla.
– When I left the Opera, I did not feel my ideas bore fruit, and I also notified management about. I am a very creative person and I feel that my ideas had value. I would like that my ideas were to reach users, he said.
ideas stemmed from a period when he was not affiliated with Opera and busy with plans to develop its own browser, he said. An agreement to make this browser the auspices of the Opera was not realized. He was a little later engaged as a consultant for the company.
– These my ideas were never sold or transferred to the Opera. I’ve always had an awareness of what is regarded as Opera’s property and what is mine.
Opera CEO Lars Boilesen declined to comment, referring to lawyer Ole E. Tokvam in Bing Hodneland
Photo: Øyvind Elvsborg
SAD and incomprehensible: Trond Werner Hansen.
Loyalty and confidentiality
Opera Software’s lawyer would not comment on details of the case.
“Hansen has been involved as a consultant in Opera Software ASA. Opera Software ASA is of the opinion that Hansen subsequently acted in breach of its contractual obligations including when it comes to loyalty and confidentiality, “writes Opera’s lawyer Ole E. Tokvam in Bing Hodneland in an email to DN.
“As this is a legal dispute to be considered by the courts, do not want Opera Software ASA of respect for the court’s treatment to go into details related to the background or the parties’ positions,” writes Tokvam in an email to DN .
“You have announced a compensation of NOK 20 million. What is the reason for this requirement? “
“It is not considered appropriate due to the impending treatment in court to go further into the background of the claim or the size of this,” writes Opera’s attorney.
– My client believes he has done nothing wrong, says solicitor Gisle Edvard Årnes in the law firm Steenstrup Stordrange.
– There is neither the basis of liability, financial loss or causation. We take Opera’s legal arguments into consideration, but we fundamentally disagree on both fact and law, says Årnes.
music career on hold
– This has been a huge burden for me. Both economic, occupational and my “wellbeing”, says Trond Werner Hansen.
When notice of lawsuit came last summer, he had to put his music career on hold. A planned album release was postponed, and he had to return home from the U.S. and several art projects. Now he lives with friends and family, and sell away assets to finance livelihood.
– I am left with so many questions. What’s Opera believe they have ownership. And why?
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