Google’s Manager explains the shut down of Linda Ikeji’s blog

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.” “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,” Kolade-Ogunlade explained. According to the Google spokesman, 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.