Mikael Ljungman

Mikael Ljungman
Born November 25, 1963 (1963-11-25) (age 48)
Nationality Swedish
Occupation Businessman
Partner Carl Freer, Stein Bagger

Mikael Ljungman (born November 25, 1963) is a businessman and inventor[1] working with mobile communications.[2][3] Mikael Ljungman is a partner of Carl Freer, working on the relaunch of Gizmondo, the gaming and Augmented Reality console, Blowfishworks[2] and The Media Power Group, GetFugu.[4] Following the IT Factory scam, Danish police sent out an arrest warrant for Mikael Ljungman via Interpol. He was arrested by Swedish police in Norrköping and was extradited to Denmark on 27 July 2009,[5][6][7] and on 26 March 2010, convicted of serious fraud for his involvement in the scam, and sentenced to a six year prison sentence, which he is appealing.[8]

Contents

Education and work

Ljungman received his law degree from Stockholms University in 1995. From 1995-1997 he worked with PC and Server manufacturing and System software engineering. From 1997 to 2000 Ljungman worked as an international business and financial consultant. From 2000-2004 Ljungman worked with Internet and platform related services including VOIP, IPTV and VOD. From 2004 to present, Mikael Ljungman created online stores, mobile applications and software.[9][10]

Political contributions

Ljungman has formally endorsed and made campaign contributions to Antonio Villaraigosa's Antonio R. Villaraigosa for Mayor 2009.[11] Ljungman has also made campaign contributions to Hillary Rodham Clinton's[12] HillPac organization and John Yarmuth's[13] YARMUTH FOR CONGRESS.[14]

Patent applications

In 2006, Ljungman applied for UK and US patents for a method of mobile advertising by which pre-created advertisement messages, are sent to mobile communication devices in advance of the time and date on which they are to be presented or as live streaming content[15] and for a method to submitting and delivering content events to remote devices by selectively delivering multimedia content, such as sports highlights, a video clip, or a movie, to a mobile communication device.[16] According to the WIPO's Preliminary Report on Patentability, Ljungman's latter patent claims lack either novelty or an inventive step but have industrial applicability.[1]

Media Power Inc

Ljungman co-founded Media Power Inc,[17] a tech company that develops consumer and business products based on Augmented Reality technology (AR) and other advanced systems. Media Power has two divisions offering a range of hi-tech goods and marketing services: Magitech and GetFugu.com. Gizmondo is a client to Media Power Inc.[18] In May 2008, a partnership was announced where Media Power would donate $5M over five years to Georgia Tech to further Augmented Reality research.[19]

Gizmondo

The Gizmondo is a handheld gaming console with GPRS and GPS technology, which was manufactured by Tiger Telematics and its subsidiary, Gizmondo Europe Ltd. Ljungman's company 3P PreForm Marketing and Research[2] performed research and development work for Gizmondo Europe since 2003[20] and was paid $7.6 million.[21] After Gizmondo Europe's bankruptcy in early 2006, the liquidators had outstanding questions about Ljungman and his company's involvement with Gizmondo Europe Ltd; they were perfectly satisfied with Ljungman's answers.[2] In May 2008, Carl Freer bought Gizmondo Europe's intellectual property rights.[22] Ljungman worked with Freer on the relaunch of the Gizmondo, with Freer calling him his "co-pilot".[2] He traveled to China in early 2008 to arrange manufacturing,[23] a contract worth $300M.[2]

3P PreForm Marketing and Research

3P PreForm Marketing and Research AB went bankrupt on October 15, 2004.[20] Ljungman was arrested on October 19, 2004, but released shortly thereafter pending trial.[24] Ljungman was convicted of accounting and having impeded tax supervision on January 26, 2009. Ljungman initially received a two-year prison sentence;[25] the prosecution was dismissed on the two tax offenses charges resulting in the sentence being reduced to 10 months on appeal in January 2009. He originally was disqualified from running a company in Sweden for five years; after the appeal it was reduced to three years, starting from 2007.[10] Ljungman appealed the verdict to the supreme court.[26] Ljungman has lost a final appeal of the sentence,[26] and was imprisoned in late April 2009.[27]

IT Factory

In December 2008, it was reported that Ljungman had business with bankrupt Danish company IT Factory. Ljungman told the press that he lent his car to Stein Bagger,[28] who had arrived in Connecticut before it was known that Bagger was missing and later became wanted for questioning as a suspect by Danish authorities investigating the bankruptcy.[29] Bagger used Ljungman's car, and may have used his credit card, to drive to Los Angeles, where he surrendered to police. On January 9, 2009, the Deputy Attorney in charge of fraud cases in Denmark announced that they want to question Mikael Ljungman.[30] Danish media has claimed that the Swedish police have found false leasing contract related to IT Factory and Xiop, a Swedish company where Ljungman earlier worked as Business Developer. This specific claim was denied by the Swedish prosecutor Yngve Rydberg.[30] Yngve Rydberg also said at the time there was no suspicion of Ljungman being involved in the crimes being investigated in Sweden.[31] Ljungman was later convicted of involvement in the fraud in Denmark,[32] having been named as an accomplice by Stein Bagger on the first day of his trial.[33] Ljungman still denies any involvement in Stein Baggers fraud, and is appealing his six year sentence. Ljungman claimed he was interested in IT Factory technology PaaS,[34] as he, with the company Media Powers tried to buy it out of the liquidated company.[26] The software was sold to a German company.[35]

References

  1. ^ a b "The World Intellectual Property Organization - WIPO". http://www.wipo.int/pctdb/en/wo.jsp?WO=2007097986. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Carl Freer: Gizmondo arrives in late 2008". http://sandberghans.blogspot.com/2008/02/carl-freer-gizmondo-arrives-late-2008.html. 
  3. ^ "Carl Freer: Han är Carl Freers nya högra hand". http://www.realtid.se/ArticlePages/200802/17/20080217212609_Realtid022/20080217212609_Realtid022.dbp.asp. 
  4. ^ "Media Power Group to GetFugu". http://bizzen.blogs.business.dk/2009/01/02/baggers-svenske-venner-skifter-facade-og-buzz-travlt-med-at-padle/. 
  5. ^ http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article4783683.ab
  6. ^ http://www.business.dk/article/20090427/ittele/90427079/
  7. ^ "Bagger's partner pleads not guilty". Copenhagen Post. 2009-07-28. http://www.cphpost.dk/business/119-business/46406-baggers-partner-pleads-not-guilty.html. 
  8. ^ http://www.fyens.dk/article/1566299:Business-Fyn--Ljungman-anker-dommen-paa-seks-aars-faengsel
  9. ^ "Linkedin". http://www.linkedin.com/in/mikaelljungman. 
  10. ^ a b "Mikael Ljungman fick fängelse". http://www.realtid.se/ArticlePages/200901/16/20090116103859_Realtid083/20090116103859_Realtid083.dbp.asp?sAction=lk#k1. 
  11. ^ "Antonio R. Villaraigosa for Mayor 2009". http://ethics.lacity.org/efs/public_search_results.cfm?showall=yes&requesttimeout=1000&orderby=OC_NM_LST%2C%20OC_NM_FRST&orderbydesc=yes&SCHEDULE=A%2CB%2CC&rept_type=AllCon&doc_id_list=4779&viewtype=pf. 
  12. ^ "Mikael Ljungman Political Campaign Contributions". http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/contributions/mikael-ljungman.asp?cycle=08. 
  13. ^ "YARMUTH FOR CONGRESS". http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?zip=10012&last=Ljungman&first=Mikael. 
  14. ^ "Yarmoth Congress Campaign site". http://www.yarmuthforcongress.com/. 
  15. ^ "Ljungman et al., System and method for advertising on remote devices". http://www.google.com/patents?id=N72BAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4. 
  16. ^ "Ljungman et al., System for submitting and delivering content events to remote devices". http://www.google.com/patents?id=-W-gAAAAEBAJ&dq=Mikael+Ljungman. 
  17. ^ Media Power, old website; see "Bios"
  18. ^ Media Power Inc - Clients
  19. ^ "Georgia Tech lands $5M to develop Augmented Reality". Atlanta Business Chronicle (American City Business Journals). 2008-05-28. http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2008/05/26/daily19.html. Retrieved 2008-06-03. 
  20. ^ a b Olle Blomkvist (2005-12-22). "Gizmondos svenska partner åtalas". Realtid.se. http://www.realtid.se/ArticlePages/200512/22/20051222120813_Realtid483/20051222120813_Realtid483.dbp.asp. 
  21. ^ "TIGER TELEMATICS INC - TGTL Quarterly Report (10-Q)". http://yahoo.brand.edgar-online.com/displayfilinginfo.aspx?FilingID=3965271-21910-50927&type=sect&TabIndex=2&companyid=77277&ppu=%252fdefault.aspx%253fcik%253d1065581. 
  22. ^ "Gizmondo Liquidators Wishes Carl Freer Good Speed". http://sandberghans.blogspot.com/2008/05/gizmondo-press-release-from-joint.html. 
  23. ^ "Omskrivet företag satsar på nytt". http://www2.unt.se/article/1,1786,MC=77-AV_ID=725894,00.html?from=latestnav. 
  24. ^ "1,6 miljarder kroner försvann från bolaget - på ett halvår". http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article323691.ab. 
  25. ^ Johansson, Sara (2009-01-26). "Mikael Ljungman fick fängelse" (in Swedish). Realtid.se. http://www.realtid.se/ArticlePages/200901/16/20090116103859_Realtid083/20090116103859_Realtid083.dbp.asp. Retrieved 2009-01-29. "I dag kom domen mot Carl Freers kompanjon Mikael Ljungman. Han fick 10 månaders fängelse och näringsförbud." 
  26. ^ a b c Johansson, Sara (2009-02-26). "Mikael Ljungman överklagar hovrättens dom" (in Swedish). Realtid.se. http://www.realtid.se/ArticlePages/200902/26/20090226115912_Realtid476/20090226115912_Realtid476.dbp.asp. "Åklagaren har inte kunnat styrka brottet. Det menar Mikael Ljungmans advokat Leif Gustafsson." 
  27. ^ Bendtsen, Simon (2009-04-27). "Baggers partner anholdt" (in Danish). Business dk. http://www.business.dk/article/20090427/ittele/90427079/. ""Jeg tror, at han netop var startet med at afsone de 10 måneder. Han er så nu blevet overført til arresten, og så må vi se, hvornår vi kan få ham udleveret til Danmark," siger vicestatsadvokat Per Justesen." 
  28. ^ "Svensk forretningsmand hjalp Stein Bagger i USA". http://www.business.dk/article/20081208/ittele/712070136/. 
  29. ^ Johansson, Sara (2009-03-17). "Dansk polis är beredda att efterlysa Ljungman" (in Swedish). Realtid.se. http://www.realtid.se/ArticlePages/200903/17/20090317092653_Realtid057/20090317092653_Realtid057.dbp.asp. "Den danska polisen har ännu inte lyckats förhöra Mikael Ljungman, som misstänks vara delaktig i Stein Bagger-härvan." 
  30. ^ a b "Dansk polis vill förhöra Mikael Ljungman". http://www.realtid.se/ArticlePages/200901/09/20090109134818_Realtid957/20090109134818_Realtid957.dbp.asp. 
  31. ^ "Åklagare gjorde razzia hos Mikael Ljungman-bolag". http://www.realtid.se/ArticlePages/200812/22/20081222201417_Realtid281/20081222201417_Realtid281.dbp.asp. 
  32. ^ "Ljungman anker dommen på seks års fængsel". Fyenske. 2010-03-26. http://www.fyens.dk/article/1566299:Business-Fyn--Ljungman-anker-dommen-paa-seks-aars-faengsel. 
  33. ^ "Bagger points finger at Swedish partner". Copenhagen Post. 2009-06-10. http://www.cphpost.dk/news/crime/45916-bagger-points-finger-at-swedish-partner.html. 
  34. ^ Johansson, Sara (2009-01-26). "Vi funderar på att överklaga domen" (in Swedish). Realtid.se. http://www.realtid.se/ArticlePages/200901/26/20090126154337_Realtid235/20090126154337_Realtid235.dbp.asp. "Utredningen stödjer helt enkelt inte att han har gjort de brott som åklagaren påstår." 
  35. ^ "Tysk køber af IT Factorys software. Mikael Ljungman fik nej". http://bizzen.blogs.business.dk/2009/02/25/tysk-k%c3%b8ber-af-it-factorys-flagskib-software-overlever/. 

External links