The scenarios may be quite different, but claims in two lawsuits have now survived the motion-to-dismiss phase and are grabbing employers' attention as they raise the issue of ownership of social media accounts used for company purposes.

Ninety percent of chief marketing officers now participate in three or more social media activities, a 2011 survey by Bazaarvoice, a software company, and the CMO Club found. And as more and more businesses rely on social media for marketing and managing their public personae, experts say similar lawsuits will become more common.

One case deals with an allegedly company-controlled LinkedIn account. Linda Eagle co-founded Edcomm, a communication consulting and bank training firm, in 1987, and a Saudi Arabia-based IT services firm bought it in October 2010. Eagle remained an Edcomm executive for a while, but the new owners eventually terminated her and also changed the password on her LinkedIn account to block her access. Eagle regained control of the account three weeks later.