Facebook CEO Zuckerberg denies Oculus virtual reality tech was stolen

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Facebook chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who testified in Dallas that his company did not steal virtual reality technology. Photo: AP

Published: 2:27am, 18 Jan 2017Updated: 2:27am, 18 Jan 2017

Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg took the witness stand in Dallas federal court on Tuesday and denied an allegation by a rival company that the virtual-reality technology of Facebook’s Oculus unit was stolen.

Zuckerberg, wearing a dark suit and striped tie rather than his typical T-shirt and jeans, began testifying at 9 am local time (1500 GMT) and 2 1/2 hours later was still answering questions posed by a lawyer for videogame publisher ZeniMax Media Inc.

ZeniMax sued Oculus in 2014 as Facebook was in the process of buying the startup for US$2 billion. The publisher said that Oculus unlawfully gained access to ZeniMax’s intellectual property while developing the virtual-reality system that includes the Rift headset.

Summer Tan of China tries out a Oculus Rift virtual reality headset at the Intel booth during the 2017 CES in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo: Reuters

Zuckerberg told a jury in the crowded courtroom that those claims are false. “Oculus products are based on Oculus technology,” he said.

Under questioning from ZeniMax lawyer Tony Sammi, the 32-year-old billionaire addressed how Facebook’s investment in virtual reality came together. Zuckerberg said the purchase of Oculus included not only the $2 billion price but also $700 million to retain employees and $300 million in payouts for reaching milestones.

Zuckerberg said the Oculus deal was done over a weekend in 2014, which Sammi said in court does not show due diligence.