Tech giant, Google has finally responded and explained why Linda Ikeji’s Blog was shut down on Wednesday.

Linda Ikeji Blog has been hit by multiple allegations of plagiarism with critics allegedly prodding Google to suspend the blog, the latest of which began few days ago when one Mr. Aye Dee, Editor-in-Chief of United States-based 15Past8 media group, reported Linda Ikeji to Google, accusing her of copyright infringement.

Google initially responded to his request by taking
down the posts he alleged Linda Ikeji Infringed upon, but when it seem Linda Ikeji remained adamant and continued to plagiarized his work, he prodded Google more leading to the final suspension of the site.

“Google just notified us that they are removing our copyrighted content from Linda Ikeji’s website. All the stories and images Linda Ikeji took from me without permission in the last few days have been removed from her site by Google. Someone has to say something. It costs money to get good work done. I spend time getting information from my sources, as well as analysing and verifying the information. All that costs money. I don’t mind donating my time for
Nigeria’s sake, but for someone to take my labour and use it for personal profit, no way!” Aye Dee had tweeted.

In defence of its action, Google’s Manager for
Communications and Public Affairs, Anglo-Phone West Africa, Taiwo Kolade-Ogunlade explained why they had to suspend Linda Ikeji’s blog:

He said Google takes the issue of copyright seriously, adding that the company belongs to a group of Internet firms that abides by the provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and other applicable copyright laws.

“To respect the rights of copyright holders, Google clearly spells out how users of its products and services can get permission to use someone else’s intellectual property such as text, songs, images and footages. Google is no respecter of anybody when it came to the issues of copyright infringement, copyright is a big deal.

“Google as an organisation takes issues of copyright seriously and belongs to a group of digital companies that respect copyrights.

“Copyright is a big deal and this is why you can’t just go and pick up another person’s intellectual property or content and lay claim to its ownership. “That is why we have copyright guidance. I don’t know if Linda picked up any content and I don’t know what content is the bone of contention-neither have I looked into the complaints personally.

“But it is not a case of witch-hunting and has nothing to do with Linda Ikeji’s personality or anyone else because there is a process, and irrespective of who you are in the world, that process would apply to you. “It has become imperative for online entrepreneurs
to respect the rights of copyright holders noting that the Internet community should be built on mutual trust and general respect.

“Let’s respect other people’s rights and
intellectual property. Making money off other
people’s content without permission is wrong.
Although the Internet is inanimate, it is the content on it that gives it life. These are the issues. “Whenever owners of online contents come after you accusing you of using their content, it is because they have families to feed and businesses to sustain.

“People should also understand that copyrights does not only apply to text, but also extends to literary works, images and photographs, music files and MP3s, movies, movie trailers and videos as well as software,” Kolade-Ogunlade explained to Punch