As anyone who's ever tried to find good food in an unfamiliar area knows, Yelp restaurant reviews are full of misleading information. Like internet comment sections, Yelp reviews are largely unregulated, crawling with people full of malcontent with free rein to share their opinions. Last year, Yelp had to pay a fine for allowing children to post reviews. Understandably, chefs hate it. Now, Yelp is trying to defend its shaky honor by suing a company that sells fake positive reviews to restaurants.
According to a lawsuit filed last week in a California court, Yelp is suing the operators of Yelp Director, a company that also does business under the names Revpley and Revleap. Yelp claims Yelp Director undermines its integrity by allowing restaurants to post fake positive reviews and bury negative ones. As Consumerist points out, Yelp accuses the company of "trademark infringement, unfair competition, cybersquatting, contract interference" and a "state-level claim of false advertising."
Yelp first discovered Yelp Director in November of 2013 and sent the company a cease and desist order, but Yelp Director never complied. The lawsuit includes an email Yelp Director sent to potential clients.
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