Court Grants Nuri Sushi Owner Full Control of Facebook Page After Legal Dispute

In a recent resolution to a court dispute, Bonny Levi, owner of the renowned Cape Town sushi outlet Nuri Sushi, emerged victorious, gaining exclusive rights to the business's Facebook page. This follows a legal contestation against Mehdi Pakdoust, the ex co-owner, regarding who would maintain administrative control of the Facebook page that boasts more than 12,000 followers.

The Western Cape High Court handed down a judgment that settled the clash which not only had been a thorn in the side of their relationship but had also evolved into a global conflict of Meta proportions.

The page in question, integral for customer engagement and marketing, became the center of friction after Pakdoust allegedly ousted Levi from his administrative position. Judge Michael Bishop pointed out an unexpected hurdle caused by a marketing manager who, in an attempt at helpfulness, established a Meta Business Manager Page unbeknownst to the co-owners, inadvertently complicating the administrative handover.

Facebook, with its nuanced user rules and network setup, defines an "administrator" who manages a page with extensive control, including posting content, adding or removing other administrators. Levi, not being a direct Facebook user, managed the page via another business with a Facebook presence, Eastern Food Bazaar. The conflict crescendoed on April 26, 2021, when Pakdoust removed Eastern Food Bazaar as an administrator.

However, a silver lining soon appeared as the co-owners reached a settlement a month later, with Levi purchasing Pakdoust's share of Nuri Sushi for R1.5 million. The agreement specified that Pakdoust would sever all ties with the business’s social media accounts and transfer all access to Levi. This arrangement proved more complicated than anticipated as Facebook's procedures didn't align with the contract's language and required Levi or his agent to be made an administrator before Pakdoust could remove himself.

The marketing manager's private creation of a Meta Business Manager Page also threw a wrench in the mix, preventing the straightforward transfer of administrator rights. It took a concerted effort involving lawyers from both sides of the Atlantic to untangle this digital web.

Ultimately, Meta provided instructions in April of this year to resolve the issue. Despite having the means to transfer the administrator role to Levi, Pakdoust withheld action demanding additional compensation. Judge Bishop decided Pakdoust had no claim to further payments and mandated him to instate Levi as the page administrator promptly.

The resolution of this matter highlights the complexities inherent in digital ownership and social media control, serving as a cautionary tale for businesses and entrepreneurs regarding the protection and clarity of digital assets.