“This is Harvard, where you don't plant stories and you don't sue people.”
Por qué es buena
A whole class code in one line: no leaks and no lawsuits.
Registro
Formal
Úsala tú
This is our house, where you don't shout and you don't slam doors.
00:00 / 03:23
00:00 / 03:23
The Winklevosses Debate Suing Mark, Explained
The Social Network · 2010
Capítulo 9 de 23 · 3'23"
Convinced Mark stole their idea, the Winklevosses and Divya plan a legal response, then argue about how far to take it. "Do you wanna hire an IP lawyer and sue him?" one asks. The answer is a class rule: "This is Harvard, where you don't plant stories and you don't sue people."
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 2:57–3:21
The Code the Winklevosses Live By
24s
The Winklevosses Debate Suing Mark, explained
What happens
Once Facebook is up, the Winklevoss twins and Divya are sure Mark stole their idea. They gather evidence, call their father's lawyer, and argue over whether to sue. The scene ends on the Harvard rule they both resent and obey: no planting stories, no suing people.
What's really going on
The scene is really about what a certain kind of privilege will and will not do. The Winklevosses have the facts, the lawyer and the money, but they are also bound by an unwritten code: "This is Harvard, where you don't plant stories and you don't sue people." That code sounds noble, and it is also a cage — the very reason they hesitate while Mark simply acts. Their line about how he lied "to our faces" shows the hurt underneath, but the deciding voice is the one defending manners. The irony is that the film's whole plot is the cost of that restraint: playing by the gentleman's rules is exactly how they lose.
Key lines & what they mean
- “This is Harvard, where you don't plant stories and you don't sue people.”
- The code the brothers live by, stated as fact: at Harvard, both leaking to the press and going to court are beneath them.
- “Because we're gentlemen of Harvard.”
- The reason behind the rule, and the film's quiet joke about privilege dressing itself up as principle.
- “We know he lied to our faces for a month and a half.”
- The grievance in plain terms: they gave Mark a month of trust and believe he spent it deceiving them.
- “We're not starting a knife fight in The Crimson.”
- A refusal to turn the campus paper into a battleground, showing how much they prize staying above the fray.
- “And this guy doesn't have three friends to rub together to make a fourth.”
- A sharp, almost envious jab: for all his success, Mark is described as friendless and alone.
Theme
- Class — The twins obey an elite code of manners that forbids both leaking and suing, even when being wronged.
- Justice — They believe they were robbed and want a remedy, but their own rules keep blocking every path to one.
Qué aprendes en este capítulo
Puntos de enseñanza
Repasa justo después de verMi nivel0/6
A1–C2 es la escala MCER. Las tarjetas por encima del nivel elegido se atenúan y la reproducción no se pausa en ellas.
Puntos de lengua
Toca una tarjeta para saltar a ese momentoFrases de oro
Una gran frase en sí misma: por qué y cómo usarla“Because we're gentlemen of Harvard.”
Por qué es buena
A class code spoken as if it were a law of nature.
Registro
Formal
Úsala tú
Because we're members of this club, and members don't cut in line.
“We know he lied to our faces for a month and a half.”
Por qué es buena
Grievance made concrete: six weeks of lies to their faces.
Registro
Neutral
Úsala tú
We know he cashed our rent checks for three months and fixed nothing.
“We're not starting a knife fight in The Crimson.”
Por qué es buena
A street-fight image for an Ivy League newspaper spat.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
We're not starting a flame war in the group chat.
“And this guy doesn't have three friends to rub together to make a fourth.”
Por qué es buena
An insult built on arithmetic: he can't even make a fourth friend.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
The new manager doesn't have two allies to rub together.
Siguiente · 10Facebook meLa escena: Eduardo Recalls Facebook's LaunchPreguntas frecuentes
La pregunta, luego la fraseWhat does a cease-and-desist letter mean?
It is a formal warning from a lawyer demanding that someone stop the offending behavior. Sending one is often the step before a lawsuit, which is why the brothers call their father's counsel first.
Why don't the Winklevosses sue Mark right away?
Partly they are waiting for the lawyer to review the evidence, and partly they are bound by a Harvard code against leaking stories or suing. The scene shows them choosing restraint over action.
What evidence do they have against Mark?
They point to The Crimson, where Mark is quoted describing a Harvard facebook, and to a line on his site reading A Mark Zuckerberg production. That is enough to convince them he took their idea.
What did The Crimson quote Mark as saying?
It quotes him saying that a universal Harvard facebook makes sense, and that he could do a classier job than the university in a week. The twins read the article as Mark bragging and rubbing it in.