Not commenting on the specific merits of this case (as I would want to hear both sides), but a few general thoughts: a) Maybe it's just the nature of social me

Not commenting on the specific merits of this case (as I would want to hear both sides), but a few general thoughts: a) Maybe it's just the nature of social media, but I think we're seeing a massive uptick in issues like this being brought to Hacker News and their ilk. Not just Developer Accounts, but DMCA fraud and Adwords account issues as well. b) An incumbent like Google can be built entirely on automated algorithms for all they do (I think this is one of their core precepts), but at some point (like now) this breaks down. This sets the stage for a rapidly building snowball of first small/minor litigation (e.g. Small Claims) and then catches fire until much larger litigation starts happening. c) As evidenced over and over in tech / large corporate history, often issues like this (that snowball), open up opportunities for new upstart players who come up with effective solutions to these problems, to displace the incumbents. (Cracks in the corporate armor.) As such, it wouldn't surprise me to see upstarts using this as an opportunity to chip away at Google's market share. d) Small claims court can be a very effective way to get matters resolved, and I've found them to very much not be biased towards any party and to consider the merits of the case. With that said, there are some restrictions - including the amount of judgment, and the kinds of judgment that can be issued. One of the most interesting aspects here is that: "Unless a judge grants permission, Attorneys and paralegals are excluded from appearing or participating with the plaintiff or defendant in a small claims suit." This makes it really interesting when the defendant is a company like Google (or really any large entity). e) I attribute some percentage of success to building a good cadre of attorneys who work for me, or with me. As much as I cringe when I think back to some of the invoices, it is my humble opinion that they've been worth every dollar paid out for their services, especially in cases just such as these. Best of luck resolving your issue.