Facebook sues German social network imitation

by Stevie Smith - Jul 21 2008, 11:44

Uber-popular social networking phenomenon Facebook is meeting with stubborn resistance this week after unleashing its legal team on a German social Web site accused of operating an online service that directly imitates its own.

Facebook’s official intellectual property lawsuit, which was filed with a federal court in California on Friday of last week, claims that the ‘StudiVZ’ service is so similar in terms of its aesthetic presentation and feature set that Facebook’s reputation and standing could well be tarnished by association.

“As with any counterfeit product, StudiVZ’s uncontrolled quality standards for service, features and privacy negatively impact the genuine article,” outlined Facebook in its filing, which seeks as-yet undefined monetary compensation and “to end StudiVZ’s illegal activity.”

However, StudiVZ isn’t prepared to lie down and be trampled by Facebook, with company chief executive Marcus Riecke suggesting that Facebook’s strategy appears to be “If you can’t beat the, sue them,” regarding the social networking giant’s apparent failure to replicate its U.S. success in the German market.

Reuters reports that StudiVZ moved to solidify its position against Facebook’s claim this past Friday by filing for a declaratory judgement at the District Court in Stuttgart, which it hopes will return a judgement that Facebook’s legal attack is without merit.

In its filing, Facebook accuses StudiVZ of lifting portions of its distinctive design, which includes core user features, and also attempting to sidestep obvious copying by “replacing Facebook’s blue color scheme with a red one.”

Facebook currently boasts a worldwide user base in excess of 80 million and has recently launched a German-language network. However, a source close to the company has reportedly suggested that the new German model of Facebook has thus far struggled to attract an active audience.

Berlin-based StudiVZ, which is owned by German publishing company Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck, claims to be the most successful social networking destination in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

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