Facebook filed an intellectual-property lawsuit in California Friday claiming that German social network StudiVZ copied its look, feel, features and services. With more than 10 million customers, StudiVZ is the most popular social network in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Comparisons of Facebook and StudiVZ show striking similarities in layout, operate and anatomy, with only minor differences. Some users have commented it is just “Facebook in German.” The Facebook lawsuit additionally says knockoffs of its site may not perform well, and thereby damage

the image of the original.

A significant difference amidst StudiVZ and Facebook, however, is the segregation of various audiences in the StudiVZ realm: it offers separate sites for students and nonstudents.

Critics allege the social-networking sites are identical except for their color and language — Facebook is blue, while StudiVZ is red.

Sour Grapes?

Facebook showed interest in acquiring the German site last year, but it was scooped up by the […]

Orginal post by Top Tech News