Google may face High Court battle over Monifieth app

Developer takes legal advice after company closes his account

Google is facing a High Court battle over a mobile app for Monifieth.

A former Angus man who developed the app after battling back from the brink of death is launching legal action against the tech giant.

Paul Cuthbertson, 27, who now lives in Belfast, taught himself how to write mobile apps and developed Absolutely Monifieth, which launched in August.

Android users in Monifieth now have to take alternative measures to use the app, after Google terminated Mr Cuthbertson’s account.

The row arose after months of Mr Cuthbertson – who almost lost his life in a serious car accident on the A74 in 2011 – trying to resolve a dispute with Google Play. He said: “This is the app I am most passionate about, as I know it has greatly impacted the residents of Monifieth.”

In addition to Absolutely Monifieth, Mr Cuthbertson developed another 10 apps which were available on Google’s app download platform, Google Play.

Mr Cuthbertson said: “I decided to remove an irrelevant sentence from five of my apps on Google Play and, to my surprise, this identical update to identical apps received a variety of different outcomes. He said two updates were approved, two rejected and: “The last received a suspension and termination to my account for apparent ‘deceptive behaviour’. How can five identical apps have different results with an identical update?

“Since all other options are exhausted, I have consulted with a solicitor who believes I have a case for breach of contract. The solicitor advised me this case would need to go to the High Court as county courts cannot demand Google reinstate my developer account.”

Legal fees may be as much as £20,000 and his partner, David Thompson, has created a ‘go fund me’ page.

A Google Play spokeswoman said it will not reinstate Mr Cuthbertson’s developer account despite his appeal. She said the account was terminated “due to multiple policy violations”.

Impasse: Mr Cuthbertson is also looking at other methods of distributing Absolutely Monifieth.