Hulu Sued By Canadian Company That Claims NBCU Lifted The Lot, Including The Name

Online television streaming service Hulu is heading to court with a Canadian company claiming NBCU stole the idea from them, including the name Hulu.

Huluvision claims NBCU executives stole its trademark and trade secrets after meeting with its founder. THR reports:

Hulavision and principal Errol Hula claim that the company developed technology to deliver television programs directly to viewers online. Hula then met with NBCU business development exec Raymond Vergel de Dios at a Las Vegas trade show and was invited to have further discussions about working together. In the spring of 2006, Hula and NBCU allegedly signed a nondisclosure agreement, after which Hula revealed his company’s business model, marketing strategy, product roadmap and a “shared revenue model chart” that included valuable trade secrets.

Hula claims that Hulu is a “nearly identical” adaptation of Hulavision.

The odd thing is why now, some three years after Hulu was announced? Still, I wonder if Huluvision would have been georetarded as well ?