Social Network, In Real Life: Yes, Zuckerberg Still Hates the Winklevi. Yes, the Twins Still Want to ‘Gut the Nerd’

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Paul Sakuma / AP

Facebook founder – and 2010 Person of the Year candidate – Mark Zuckerberg appeared on 60 Minutes last night. He was asked once again about the Winklevoss brothers, and the sordid legal actions stemming back to the trio’s time at Harvard. Anyone anticipating fireworks was not disappointed.

For those who have yet to see The Social Network – and really, what’s wrong with you people, it’s the best film of the year! – the Facebook movie is structured around depositions in two lawsuits, one of them pitting Zuckerberg against Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, who have always claimed that Zuckerberg toyed with them, agreeing to help launch their new social network, all the while stymieing their project so he could create Facebook first.

(See exclusive photos inside Facebook headquarters)

The movie features a handful of explosive sequences, in which the Winklevosses (abbreviated by the fictional Zuckeberg to “Winklevi”) learn that Zuckerberg has launched his own online community – which they consider to be intellectual property theft. In perhaps the most memorable outburst, a Winklevoss says he wants to “gut the nerd” (using slightly more colorful language to deride the Facebook founder).

Later, in the deposition scenes, Zuckerberg uses the opportunity to lash out against his accusers: “If you guys were the inventors of Facebook,” he says, “You’d have invented Facebook.”

(More at NewsFeed: 10 reasons to unfriend someone on Facebook)

Sunday night, as Zuckerberg appeared on 60 Minutes and rolled out a whole new look for Facebook, Lesley Stahl reignited the legal debate. The Winkelvi talked with her about why they are still pursuing a second lawsuit against Zuckerberg; Facebook’s owner, meanwhile, took yet another opportunity to blast the brothers, dismissing his former Harvard classmates, saying they have no legitimate Facebook gripe.

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