Facebook Takes Aim at German Site

Posted by Eriq Gardner

It looks like Facebook is starting to flex its legal muscle, going after some user-generated social network websites. The company has filed a lawsuit in California  against Germany's StudiVZ, claiming the European company copied "the look, feel, features and services” of the Facebook site.

Facebook said it was "seeking to end StudiVZ's illegal activity to ensure that users are not confused and that Facebook's reputation remains unharmed."

StudiVZ has filed for a declaratory judgment at the District Court in Stuttgart, Germany. In a public statement, the company says, "Now that Facebook, despite trying hard, has not been successful in the German market, the company seeks to obstruct studiVZ through court action. Their strategy appears to be: If you can’t beat them, sue them."