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Before Facebook sued the German social networking site StudiVZ last month for copying its "look and feel," it had been in talks to purchase the site.

A former StudiVZ executive says Facebook had been negotiating for months to buy the social network.

"Facebook may have the superior technology, but it doesn't have the users in Germany," the former executive told the International Herald Tribune on the condition of anonymity because the talks were confidential. "That is what Facebook wants with StudiVZ."

StudiVZ had 12.2 million German members in June, compared to Facebook's 1.2 million members according to comScore.

StudiVZ's owner, the Holtzbrinck Gruppe, reportedly paid $134 million for the site in January 2007, and would only consider selling the social networking site for several times that amount, according to the former executive. The executive says the lawsuit is an attempt to get Holtzbrinck to sell StudiVZ.

Another source said Facebook negotiated with Holtzbrinck to purchase StudiVZ last year. A Facebook employee, speaking on condition of anonymity said the companies had been in discussions but they were focused on copying issues.

Facebook has seen rapid growth in Germany, going from 125,000 members in June 2007 to 1.2 million in June of this year, but is still just in ninth place among German social networks, according to comScore.

A comScore analyst said once a social network builds a big advantage it is difficult to lure users away, but would never discount Facebook.