Does an online food fight make a mess?
A San Diego Federal District Court will hear arguments that may answer this question on Wednesday. The court will hear initial arguments on a temporary restraining order, involving a Web guide to local restaurants and its ISP (Internet service provider), over who exactly owns the content of the site. The case also may shed light on whether Web-based businesses need special protection. Whatever the result, it’s already been an unappetizing case for the plaintiff, Edward Araujo, owner of San Diego’s Restaurants Online (www.sdro.com). “When your business is on the Internet and it suddenly disappears, it’s not a happy feeling,” Araujo said. “Your dream falls apart at the seams and there’s not too much you can do.” The case, Araujo vs. Meskan, came about after a falling-out between Araujo and Scott Meskan. Meskan has interests in George’s at the Cove, a San Diego restaurant, and SDIC (San Diego Internet Connection), a Web hosting service. SDRO grew out of a bulletin board Araujo ran. For a
