Yelp Accused of Extortion

Very interesting articles about Yelp. I personally know some people at Yelp and they vehemently deny that this happens but it does make you wonder when so many people step forward with the same story.

February 18, 2009 - Yelp and the Business of Extortion 2.0

March 18, 2009 - Yelp Extortion Allegations Stack Up

Yelp user faces lawsuit over negative review

Well this is pretty damn crazy. Who knew you could get sued for giving someone a bad review on Yelp? Doesn't surprise me though because honestly, what can't you sue for?

San Franciscan Christopher Norberg went to a chiropractor after being injured in a car accident in 2006. After a disagreement with the chiropractor over billing, he posted a negative review of the business on Yelp suggesting that the doctor was dishonest. Now he is facing a defamation lawsuit that could chill self-expression on the popular gripe Web site.

"If Christopher loses then anyone on Yelp who writes a negative review better be careful," said Michael Blacksburg, an attorney representing Norberg. "This strikes at the heart of Yelp's business model and other Web sites that provide a bulletin board for people to state what they think of businesses in their community."

"This is clearly Christopher Norberg's version of conversations with the doctor relating to a billing dispute and his opinion of how the doctor was behaving," Blacksburg said on Tuesday. "This is clear opinion that falls squarely within constitutionally protected speech."

Eric Nordskog, the attorney for chiropractor Steven Biegel, said the case comes down to whether Norberg's comments are considered statements of fact or opinions.

via cnet News