Facebook will next week attempt to convince a US judge to throw out claims that Mark Zuckerberg, the social networking group’s founder, created the popular website using code and other ideas stolen from a rival site run by three former Harvard classmates.

The hearing marks the latest twist in a three-year legal battle between Facebook and ConnectU, which is seeking an injunction that would shut down Facebook and transfer many of its assets to Mr Zuckerberg’s aggrieved former colleagues.