Carl Freer

Carl Freer
Born Carl Johan Freer
(1970-05-09) 9 May 1970
Residence Los Angeles, California
Nationality Swedish
Occupation Entrepreneur, businessman

Carl Johan Freer (born 9 May 1970) is a Swedish businessman and technology entrepreneur primarily known for founding the American company Tiger Telematics, which created the handheld game console Gizmondo.[1][2][3] Freer is also the founder of Singapore-based medical-device company, Aluminaid and author of several patents.

Business ventures

Freer founded Tiger Telematics, an electronics company that launched in 2002, raised over £160 million, and reached a market cap over $1 billion[4] before it dissolved in 2006.[5][3]

Freer was Chairman of the Tiger Telematics board of directors until he resigned[6] in October 2005 pending publication of an article in the Swedish press.[7][8] Freer co-founded a crowdsourcing networking website for filmmakers, financiers, actors and fans called FilmFunds as well as the Family Tree Foundation.[9][10][11] In 2008, Carl Freer hosted a seminar at Georgia Institute of Technology entitled "High Tech Ventures in Mobile Gaming and Media". Freer discussed his experiences, his plans for a potential rebirth of Gizmondo, as well as his plans for the development of new mobile video technologies. The event took place as part of GA Tech's GVU Center Lecture series.[12][13][14] Later that year, a relaunch of Gizmondo was aborted.[15] In 2010, Freer co-founded Aluminaid, which makes metal-based bandages to relieve pain in patients with first and second-degree burns.

In 2009, the law firm Patton Boggs on behalf of clients David Warnock and Simon Davies, filed an action alleging violations of the civil RICO Act against GetFugu, Carl Freer, and other officers and directors of GetFugu.[16] The firm followed the lawsuit with a press release that falsely claimed that GetFugu and Carl Freer were being investigated by the FBI.[17] In 2010, on a motion by GetFugu, District Court Judge George H. King dismissed Patton Boggs' claims with prejudice.[16][18] GetFugu and Freer then countersued Patton Boggs for defamation and malicious prosecution, seeking damages of over $500 million. Patton Boggs filed a special motion to strike the defamation claim, contending that the press release regarding the alleged FBI investigation, even if false, was protected by litigation privilege,[16][18] but the California Court of Appeals disagreed, allowing Freer and GetFugu to proceed with the $500 million lawsuit against Patton Boggs.[18] Patton Boggs' special motion to strike the malicious prosecution claim was also denied, holding that Patton Boggs did not have probable cause to prosecute the RICO claims.[16][18]

References

  1. ↑ Jeffrey Fleishman; Richard Winton (2006-05-15). "Life in Fast Lane Long Before the Ferrari Crash". Los Angeles Times.
  2. ↑ Gibson, Ellie (6 August 2012). "A Horse named Gizmondo: The Inside Story of the World’s Greatest Failed Console". Euro Gamer. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  3. 1 2 Snow, Blake (2011-06-07). "The 10 Worst Selling Handhelds Of All Time". Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2013-01-14.
  4. ↑ "Game Maker Finds Itself Short of Cash and Admirers". Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  5. ↑ "Bad Tech: CEOs who fell from grace". T3. 2012-03-22. Retrieved 2015-03-15.
  6. ↑ "Life in Fast Lane Long Before Ferrari Crash". Los Angeles Times. 15 May 2006. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  7. ↑ Smith, Tony (2005-10-27). "Gizmondo executives quit under cloud". The Register.
  8. ↑ Randall Sullivan (2006-10-01). "Gizmondo's Spectacular Crack-up". Wired Magazine.
  9. ↑ "FilmFunds Acquires 3D Conversion Specialists Duran Duboi U.S.". Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter. 2011-12-20. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  10. ↑ "FilmFunds to Use Crowdsourcing to Pitch 3D Conversions (Exclusive)". The Wrap Covering Hollywood. The Wrap News Inc. 2011-12-20. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
  11. ↑ "FilmFunds buys post house - Crowdsourcing venture wants to be one-stop shop". Variety (magazine). Reed Business Information. 2011-12-20. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
  12. ↑ smith, Tony (2008-05-13). "Gizmondo console revamp 'on track' for Q4 launch, claims boss". The Register.
  13. ↑ "GVU Brown Bag - Carl Freer". Georgia Tech GVU Center.
  14. ↑ Fahey, Mike (2008-03-06). "Liveblogging The Gizmondo GA Tech Lecture". Kotaku.
  15. ↑ Gillett, Nick (2009-01-10). "Games news: Gizmondo 'relaunch' off". The Guardian.
  16. 1 2 3 4 "Lessons From Patton Boggs Defamation Case". Law360. 26 November 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2014.(subscription required)
  17. ↑ "Patton Boggs Settles with Chevron". The Hill. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Hansen, Mark T.; Robert B. Milligan (25 October 2013). "Allegedly false statements posted on internet regarding pending litigation can support defamation claim". Lexology. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
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