Anonymous blogger to appear in court

New York: A New York judge has ordered an anonymous blogger to appear in court this week over accusations that the blog Alfredlittle.com wrote false reports about a Chinese company to drive down the stock.

The blogger was served with a subpoena via email to appear in state Supreme Court in New York on Wednesday, according to a court filing on Friday.

The blogger could not be identified or reached for comment.

Deer Consumer Products, a Chinese appliance maker listed on the Nasdaq exchange, last year sued "Alfred Little" and several unnamed contributors for defamation.

The lawsuit, which also names the investor website Seeking Alpha, claims Alfredlittle.com falsely accused Deer of engaging in fraudulent land transactions in China, driving down its stock price. The lawsuit sought to recover as much as $100 million (Dh367 million) in trading profits.

Hit back

Bloggers have gained attention for accusing US-listed Chinese companies of fraud while at the same time shorting their stock. The companies have hit back with lawsuits, saying the bloggers are distorting facts to make money.