Report: Facebook Tried To Buy German Clone Before Suing It

Before Mark Zuckerberg & company sued StudiVZ, the German social network that looks suspiciously like Facebook, they tried to buy the company, the International Herald Tribune reports.

StudiVZ does about 10 times more traffic than Facebook in Germany, so it makes sense that Facebook would want to pick up the rival network from its owner, publishing giant Holtzbrinck. IHT:

The challenge for Facebook is that StudiVZ's owner, the Holtzbrinck Gruppe, based in Stuttgart, wants several times the reported €85 million, or $134 million, it paid in January 2007 to buy StudiVZ, the former StudiVZ executive said.

Holtzbrinck, a privately held company with diversified publishing businesses, is in "the enviable position of not having to sell," he said. "This lawsuit is an attempt to encourage Holtzbrinck to sell StudiVZ."

A second person with knowledge of the situation said Facebook negotiated unsuccessfully last year with Holtzbrinck to buy StudiVZ. "I know the two companies met several times to discuss this and that offers were made by Facebook," said the person, who has a business relationship with StudiVZ.

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