The question of who owns a company’s Twitter account may soon be addressed in a South Carolina company’s legal case pitting a Twitter account holder against his former employer.

In a lawsuit filed by PhoneDog LLC against former employee Noah Kravitz, the company accuses Kravitz of costing it hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenue when Kravitz changed a Twitter account name associated with the company and kept some 17,000 followers after leaving PhoneDog, a mobile-device review site, reported Meg Kinnard on the Insurance Journal website.

PhoneDog claims this list of Twitter followers is company property and should be treated like a list of customers. Kravitz counters that the followers are his and not the company’s. He sent messages on behalf of PhoneDog using the account, but it was largely a personal account where he commented on pop culture, sports and subjects not directly related to his employment with PhoneDog.

In late January, U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria-Elena James ruled that the case against Kravitz could continue.

In the meantime, when you create an account associated with your business, make sure anyone using it knows it is intended for company-centered social media activities only.

To sign up for a Twitter account

1. Go to http://twitter.com or https://twitter.com/signup.
2. Enter your full name, email address and a password.
3. Click the “Sign up for Twitter” button.
4. When the next page comes up, select a username from the suggestions offered or create your own.
5. Double-check all fields, fill in the Captcha code if necessary and click the “Create My Account” button.

To change your Twitter username

1. Log in to your Twitter account.
2. Click on the “Person” icon and select “Settings” from the drop-down menu.
3. Change the name in your “Username” field.
4. Change your real name by opening the “Profile” tab in your settings, then entering a new name in the “Name” field.
5. Save all changes you’ve made.

Social Strategy1’s research and analysis services can help you expand your social media reach while managing your Twitter accounts and social media marketing activities. Contact us today to see how we can help you use Twitter and other platforms to their best advantage.