"The question is: Can a company cash in on, and claim ownership of, an employee’s social media account, and if so, what does that mean for workers who are increasingly posting to Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus during work hours? A lawsuit filed in July could provide some answers."......
"PhoneDog Media declined to comment for this article except for this statement: “The costs and resources invested by PhoneDog Media into growing its followers, fans and general brand awareness through social media are substantial and are considered property of PhoneDog Media L.L.C. We intend to aggressively protect our customer lists and confidential information, intellectual property, trademark and brands.
"Mr. Kravitz said the lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court in the Northern District of California, was in retaliation for his claim to 15 percent of the site’s gross advertising revenue because of his position as a vested partner, as well as back pay related to his position as a video reviewer and blogger for the site."
As a customer, I would take issue with the statement in red. As a customer, my personal information belongs to ME, and only me. If I choose to do business with a competitor, that's my business. YOUR business is to do business well enough that I don't do that.
My concern with this case is the blurring of the lines between personal life and professional. There is a growing trend that companies want their employees to think like they are always on the job, going so far as to monitor what their employees are doing off the clock. Which feels too much like slavery to my thinking: what I do when I'm not on your clock is not a reflection of your corporation. I remember the days when being a good employee meant doing your job well at work. Now companies want to extend their corporate image to include what employees do with their spare time.
There needs to be a solid boundary between personal and professional.
Read the original article @ The New York Times
