SINGAPORE – An influencer in the cycling enthusiast community was sued by a bicycle parts company for defamation after he said on social media that he had a confrontation with one of the owners of the firm.
The posts by Mr Terence Lee, who goes by the online handle Bike Guru, recounted how his decision not to review certain products led to the confrontation, without naming the company, Makericks3D, or the owner.
Makericks3D sued Mr Lee for defamation and malicious falsehood, alleging that his posts on Facebook and Instagram had hurt its reputation among customers and business partners.
The suit was dismissed by a district judge in a written judgment on Oct 13.
District Judge Jonathan Ng concluded that Mr Lee’s posts in January 2023 were not defamatory and did not refer to the company. He rejected the company’s contention that the posts suggested that its products were not of good quality.
The judge said the posts were fundamentally not about the quality of the accessories, and Mr Lee had explained in the posts why he decided not to proceed with the review.
The ordinary reasonable person would understand the posts as Mr Lee recounting the events and setting out his terms for product reviews, said the judge.
The judge noted that this was a dispute arising from the breakdown in the relationship between the business owner, Ms Alice Tan, and Mr Lee. The case is ultimately about an aggrieved individual, yet Ms Tan chose to bring the court action in the company’s name.
“Having made this strategic choice, both Alice and the claimant must now live with the consequences of that choice.
“This includes how certain findings, which might have been open had Alice brought this action in her own name, are now foreclosed,” said the judge.
Mr Lee currently has more than 11,000 followers on Facebook and more than 1,900 followers on Instagram.
