After watching The Billion Dollar Code on Netflix, viewers want to know more about the chief of Silicon Graphics, Brian Anderson.
Although it is based on a true story, The Billion Dollar Code is a fictional German series created by Robert Thalheim and Oliver Ziegenbalg.
The series follows a trial between a small company suing a large corporation after alleging it has infringed its patent and made millions.
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The Billion Dollar Code | Official Trailer | Netflix
Is The Billion Dollar Code a true story?
The Billion Dollar Code is based on events between Berlin-based company ART+COM and technology giant Google.
The end credits reveal it is a “fictional adaptation of the events of that time and arose from the court transcripts as well as conversations with Joachim Sauter, Pavel Mayer, Axel Schmidt, Gerd Grüneis and Martin Sibernagl”.
Joachim Sauter, who founded ART+COM, collaborated with the filmmaker on the series. Sadly, the art professor never saw the series finished as he died in July 2021. The series is dedicated to him.
Who is Brian Anderson from Silicon Graphics?
Brian Anderson is one of the chiefs at the computer manufacturing company Silicon Graphics.
German inventors Carsten Schlüter and Juri Müller were contacted by Anderson about their work and the computer program they had created, Terravision.
Schlüter and Müller used Onyx, which was designed by Silicon Graphics, to develop Terravision. Anderson invited the pair to display it at the company’s showroom in California in 1995.
Müller discussed Terravision’s algorithm with Anderson and said he wanted it to be made available to the public in the future via the internet.
After returning from the US, Schlüter launched his own company, Art+Com. With no-one willing to invest in their idea, Terravision was never released to the general public. Meanwhile, the inventors heard Anderson and Google had united to launch Google Earth.
In 2005, Anderson developed a demo program that seemed to replicate Terravision. Müller accused Anderson of stealing his work and Terravision’s coding. Müller said he had discussed details of the software when he visited Anderson in Silicon Valley.
Anderson admitted Terravision had inspired him, saying: “If I hadn’t seen Terravision back then, I could never have created something like that.`”
To avoid a court case, Anderson is said to have offered Müller and Schlüter a collaboration that would have made them $5 million.
When taken to court by the German inventors, Anderson denied knowing Müller and Schlüter and denied saying Terravision had inspired his software. The judge agreed with Anderson and rejected all claims made by Müller and Schlüter. It seemed as though it was all over for the pair…
Who plays Brian Anderson in The Billion Dollar Code?
Lukas Loughran plays Brian Anderson in The Billion Dollar Code.
He is a Swedish actor who speaks fluent English and is known for his role in the film Inbrottet.
You may also recognise Lukas Loughran from films Soundtrack (2017) and The Postcard Killings (2020). The 47-year-old actor and writer trained at the Stockholm Academy Of Dramatic Arts, which he graduated from in 2008.
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The series is available to stream on Netflix, with all four episodes available. Why not watch it and make your own mind up?