It seemed that so many people waited and anticipated a day like this would come where Linda will be out of business so that they can all sit back and laugh at her.
I respect the policies of Google and their strict adherence to copyright laws and all, but what's not clear is that do they actually verify these claims before taking action?
It is actually very easy to report any blogger/blog/website by filing a DMCA report by just going to www.chillingefefects.org. What it means is that even if you found one or several of my posts offensive, you could report that (those) post(s) and claim I either infringed on copyright laws or report that post for defamation.
How does Google verify these claims? Do they actually verify these claims before they take action?
A perfect example, sometime in April this year, I got a mail from Google telling me that a particular post was reported as having broken copyright infringement laws, and that post had been taken down and 'reversed to draft' in my dashboard. I was warned that repeated petitions would lead to my blog removed from the blogsphere.
I wondered what post that was.
I did a thorough search and I found out that it was a particular story about a certain top banker allegedly having an affair. Due to my doubts on the credibility of that story, I remembered I made sure to reference the story.
How come that post was then reported as breaking copyright laws?
I remember several other blogs had that exact story.
My point is that anybody can actually report anybody. Do Google verify if these claims are true or not? I'll need someone who works with Google to answer that question.
Coming back to Linda Ikeji, I can understand where all this is coming from. Linda's success story took many by surprise, as they didn't envisage Linda would surpass expectations. On how a 'mere' blogger would rise to the pinnacle of economic success in such a short period of time.
From the outside world, Linda seems to many as one who has an overbloated ego, and has a larger-than-life attitude, but getting to know Linda paints an entirely different picture. So many other bloggers I have interacted with can testify to this.
Linda has hustled, paid her dues. So many people didn't know Linda when she was hustling. Her success didn't just come like that. Putting other people down, and cutting someone else's means of livelihood just to try and make a 'point' sounds malicious to the ears.
It's very easy to blame Linda that she should have gotten a domain and we all flog her for being the cause of all this. But it seems many people don't know what blogging truly is. Blogging is something personal, its like your baby, especially when you have passion for it. It's something you want to do alone without interference from external parties.
Linda probably didn't envisage this whole blogging would turn out to become a huge money making venture, so I can understand why she didn't bother as long as she was enjoying what she loved doing.
Love or hate Linda, she has actually been a source of inspiration to several other bloggers out here. So many other bloggers lift content from Linda's blog with reckless abandon and nothing happens. But I can understand the hate because she is successful.
You all criticising Linda and accusing her of 'plagiarism' tell me, many of you who download free songs from the internet, free vidoes, free softwares, albeit illegally. Aren't you guilty of piracy too?
But every setback turns out to be a blessing because Linda has surprisingly taken all that has happened as a challenge. I have no doubts that she'll come back stronger, come back bigger. You can take away her blog, but you can't take away that brand name from her.
As for Mr Aye Dee and his cohorts, keep at it, and I want to challenge you guys to publish a list of those posts you alleged Linda broke copyright laws on, and prove beyond reasonable doubt that those stories were exclusive to you. Also I challenge you to write petitions against more bloggers who 'break copyright laws too' so as to balance off the equation. It wouldn't be bad if several blogs in Nigeria are closed down too.
Also prove to the whole world that cybersquatting in which you are being accused of, isn't a crime.
We all love Linda, and eager to see her back!
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