Facebook sues German competitor
FACEBOOK FILED an intellectual property lawsuit against StudiVZ, a German company accused of operating a virtual replica of the social networking site.
According to the complaint filed in a California court, StudiVZ copied the “look, feel, features and services”of Facebook, including the “wall,” which allows users to leave messages for one another on their profile pages.
The lawsuit also claimed that differences between the two sites were “nominal” and noted that StudiVZ simply replaced Facebook’s “blue colour scheme with a red one” for its 10 million users. Facebook, which launched its own German language version in March, said it is seeking “to end StudiVZ’s illegal activity to ensure that users are not confused.”
Facebook, founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg, recently resolved a legal battle with Connectu, a rival web site whose owners claimed Zuckerberg pinched his idea for a site that allowed Harvard students to connect to each other online. µ
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" the “wall,” which allows users to leave messages for one another on their profile pages"

Correct me if im wrong, BUT isn't that something thats been in social networking sites since the VERY BEGINING. How can they say 'leaving a publicly viewable message' was their idea.
Although still occupied by US armed forces, Germany is not the 51st state of the United States of America, yet. For some reason, you did not meantion that studiVZ filed for declaratory judgment at the District Court in Stuttgart last Friday.

http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN2034220420080720