Winklevoss twins lose Facebook appeal

Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, who claimed Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg stole their idea, cannot get out of the settlement they reached with Facebook, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday. The twins had alleged they were misled about Facebook's value when they agreed to settle their lawsuit that claimed Zuckerberg stole their idea to launch the social network.

The twins agreed two years ago to a settlement that netted them US$20 million in cash and US$45 million worth of stock valued at US$36 per share.

In a statement Monday, Facebook's deputy general counsel, Colin Stretch, said: "We appreciate the 9th Circuit's careful consideration of this case and are pleased the court has ruled in Facebook's favor."