Dispute Over Ownership of Twitter Account Settles

PhoneDog Media recently announced that it had reached a settlement with a former employee in a dispute over the ownership of a Twitter account created by the employee using the company's name. PhoneDog had sued the employee in California, claiming that the Twitter account was company property and that after the employee left the company, he unlawfully continued to use the account and kept the account's followers. PhoneDog valued the Twitter account at $2.50 per follower, per month. It alleged misappropriation of trade secrets, conversion and intentional and negligent interference with prospective economic advantage claims. Although the terms of the settlement are confidential, the employee will receive custody of the Twitter account, which now bears only Kravitz's name.

TIP: Employers should consider ownership of social media accounts carefully when crafting social media policies, and take into account what will happen when employees leave the organization.

These tips have been created for information and planning purposes. They are not intended to be, nor should they be substituted for, legal advice, which turns on specific facts.