Streamcast Seeks Injunction Against Joost

Where there is money, there is trouble. Streamcast Networks, which in the past has tussled with Skype, eBay, and Skype/Kazaa co-founders Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis, is seeking an injunction against the hot peer-to-peer television start-up, Joost.

The lawsuit filed by StreamCast Networks Inc. in Los Angeles County Superior Court names as defendants Internet phone service Skype, which is owned by eBay, the streaming TV service Joost and the founders of Kazaa BV.

The lawsuit revolves around P2P technology called FastTrack. Streamcast, the company behind Morpheus, a file-swapping service sued Kazaa because they say they have first dibs on the technology. The suit was filed back in 2006, but the Joost extension is a new twist to this drama.

The state action alleges breach of contract, violation of California’s unfair competition statute and unjust enrichment, among other allegations…StreamCast is seeking the proceeds from the sale of Skype to eBay as well as an injunction stopping Joost from using the FastTrack technology.

Interestingly, the Joost injunction comes a few weeks after Joost raised $45 million from Sequoia Capital, Index Ventures, and other investors.