EBay Inc. Conceives Changes Without Losses

   EBay Inc. says a group of investors who are buying the majority of its telecommunications service, Skype, agreed to settle a legal skirmish with Skype's founders.

Photo: EBay Inc. Conceives Changes Without Losses

  eBay Inc. is an American Internet company that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide.

  The online marketplace operator said Friday the settlement gives Skype ownership of software that had in the past been licensed from Joltid Ltd. — a company that was founded by Skype co-founders Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis. It also settles lawsuits that had been filed against the investor group and eBay once the sale of Skype is completed.

  Under the settlement, Zennstrom and Friis will become part of the investor group buying Skype and get a 14 % stake in the company.

  This means that the investor group will own 56 % of Skype once the deal closes. EBay will own 30 %, according to the Associated Press  review.