SAN FRANCISCO — Trial finally got under way Monday in the years-long trade secrets and computer hacking case against French telecom giant Orange SA brought by Silicon Valley social media calling company Telesocial Inc.

After a delayed start caused by its litigation funder getting cold feet, Telesocial's attorneys at opening statements Monday depicted Orange as desperate to meet an aggressive launch date for a “social calling” service–and willing to rip off the San Francisco-based startup to do it.

“We've all heard about it and seen this in companies,” Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan partner Edward DeFranco told the nine-person jury that will decide the case. “They've got a deadline to meet. They've got a product to deliver. They've got to do it in sufficient time.”