Google shuts down Linda Ikeji’s blog

Tech giant, Google, on Wednesday shut down the blog of celebrated blogger, Linda Ikeji, following widespread allegations of copyright infringement and plagiarism levelled against her.

When iPUNCH visited her blog, lindaikeji.blogspot.com, the American tech company stated on the free weblog publishing platform hosting Linda Ikeji’s blog that it “has been removed.”

“Sorry, the blog at lindaikeji.blogspot.com has been removed. This address is not available for new blogs,” Google added in the message posted on her removed blog.

Linda Ikeji refused to comment on the development as calls placed to her mobile phone went unanswered. Also, a text message sent to her telephone was not responded to.

But in a post on her Twitter page, Linda Ikeji assured her readers that she was sorting things out with Google, adding that her blog “will be back.”

She directed her readers to her mobile blog, lindaikeji.mobi, pending the time the issues would be resolved.

“Linda Ikeji’s Blog will be back in a bit. Biko, bear with me. The blog is still up on lindaikeji.mobi. Please read there for now until I sort this out,” she tweeted.

When contacted, Google’s Manager for Communications and Public Affairs, Anglo-Phone West Africa, Taiwo Kolade-Ogunlade, said he was not in the best position to speak on the specifics of the development.

He, however, noted that 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.

According to Kolade-Ogunlade, 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.

The search giant, he added, was no respecter of anybody when it came to the issues of copyright infringement, adding that “copyright is a big deal.”

-punch