Mark Zuckerberg to testify in $2bn VR lawsuit

Mark Zuckerberg is expected to appear in a Texas court today to defend Facebook over claims it stole virtual reality (VR) technology.

Games studio Zenimax Media claims its early innovations were unlawfully copied by Facebook-owned tech company Oculus to create the Rift headset. It is suing for $2bn (£1.6bn).

Zuckerberg is expected to argue Zenimax only showed an interest in VR after the acquisition of Oculus was made public in 2014.

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According to the BBC, US inventor Palmer Luckey, who hasn't been seen publicly since allegations broke he was funding an online trolling campaign in support of Donald Trump, is also crucial to the case.

The Oculus VR founder and creator of the Rift is expected to be called to testify this week.

Zenimax claims Luckey's headset, which was initially funded via Kickstarter, was a crude prototype and that he lacked "the necessary expertise and technical know-how to create a viable virtual reality headset". Therefore, it alleges, he relied on the company to help him create the prototype which impressed Facebook.

A spokesman for Oculus told the BBC the firm is "eager" to present its case in court. "Oculus and its founders have invested a wealth of time and money in VR because we believe it can fundamentally transform the way people interact and communicate," he said.

"We're disappointed that another company is using wasteful litigation to attempt to take credit for technology that it did not have the vision, expertise, or patience to build.”

Wired reports that lawyers for Facebook argued that Zuckerberg should not have to answer questions on the company's acquisition of Oculus but this argument was dismissed by the judge.

The trial is expected to last three weeks.