Ferrari Fights 21-Year-Old Racer for Facebook Page Control

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Sammy Wasem was 15 when he started a Ferrari fan page that would become one of the most popular car sites on Facebook. Six years later, he is in a legal battle with his favorite Italian sports-car maker in a case that may help define freedom of expression rights in social media.

Wasem, an amateur race-car driver, and his father Olivier have filed a criminal complaint against Ferrari SpA, claiming copyright infringement as they lost control of their site. Ferrari has sued the Wasems, arguing they misused the company’s trademark to advertise non-Ferrari merchandise and for personal messages such as invitations for Wasem’s 18th birthday.