Though critics have voiced their disapproval of its purchase of Time Warner
earlier this week, it was an acquisition made a last month that has landed
America Online Inc. in court.
Map publisher Universal Map
Enterprises Inc. filed suit in federal district court this week,
seeking to stop AOL’s (AOL)
December acquisition of MapQuest.com Inc..
Universal alleges that prior to its sale to AOL, MapQuest.com signed a
legally valid, binding and enforceable agreement
to sell its MapStore.com site to
Universal Map. Within 24 hours following MapQuest’s announcement of
its $1.1 billion sale to America Online, it attempted to
repudiate the Universal Map agreement.
The company requests immediate injunctive relief to prohibit the sale of
MapQuest.com, Inc. to America Online as well as monetary damages of more than $1 million.
Neither America Online not Universal Map could not be reached for comment.