Internet Firm Sues Former Employee Over Migration of His Twitter Followers

Just who or what "owns" a Twitter following? This question is one of social media's stickier wickets. The obvious answer might revolve around interpretations of non-compete contract language and definitions of intellectual property. However, as an article in today's siliconvalley.com implied, it's not always that simple. The story notes some intriguing details that those interested in the business side of social media should carefully consider. (For the record, the story appears to have chased the tail of an article by John Biggs in The New York Times on Christmas Day.)

The case involves Noah Kravitz, a former employee of the Internet news and review firm PhoneDog. He left the company to start his own enterprise. Kravitz's new venture allegedly used Twitter account information gained from his work with PhoneDog. Significantly, the plaintiffs in the case, in their court filings, attributed a monetary value to each Twitter account associated with the defendant. In this instance, each Twitter account was worth $2.50 per month. That's right -- two dollars and fifty cents. An intellectual property lawyer quoted in the siliconvalley.com piece doubted the figure would stand up to legal scrutiny. However, it does beg the larger question of how to sensibly value social media user information.

Two-fifty doesn't sound like much, until it's multiplied by the number of Twitter accounts associated with the firm's efforts. In its litigation, PhoneDog asserted the defendant had 17,000 Twitter followers per month. The term in dispute was eight months. The total figure comes to what a Ferrari might cost.

Auric Goldfinger, from the James Bond movie Goldfinger

The legal activity suggests there's gold to "monetize" in them thar' social media hills. (In fairness, Kravitz's Twitter site includes the slogan "People are not property. Love over gold.") There's also anxiety among bloggers, as vator.tv correspondent Krystal Peak noted, about the fate of their "curated Twitter followings."  These considerations lead one to wonder about the gold being mined by some of the Internet's leading transaction firms and what it's worth. Do you think $2.50 per "follower" sounds like the right value? What is your social media worth?

Sherlock Holmes in Film

Thanks to Netflix, I was recently able to watch a streamed version of a Sherlock Holmes movie. The film starred Sir Basil Rathbone, who established a Holmes persona that's tough to beat. Others have tried, and some interpretations are interesting. I showed the most recently Sherlock Holmes movie, in which Robert Downey, Jr. gave a worthy portrayal of the British sleuth.

One of the enduring characteristics of iconic characters, such as Sherlock Holmes, is the range it offers actors. The James Bond franchise is another example; one suspects Jason Bourne will follow in the Holmes-Bond path.

I've often wondered if this phenomenon is restricted to Anglo-Saxon characters. I can't think of a similar character in a language other than English. Fellini's development of an alter ego character comes closest, with Marcello Mastroianni providing the interpretation. If the multiple interpretations are limited to the English-speaking world, one has to consider what is in the culture to permit these variations, or what limits other cultures from developing the next James Bond, Sherlock Holmes, or Jason Bourne.