Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has dropped attempts to acquire land for his Hawaii estate through the courts.
The billionaire tech mogul had filed a legal case seeking to acquire small pockets of land within his large estate on the island of Kauai.
But his use of the so-called "quiet title" legal system led to criticism from other residents.
He said he had not taken the time to fully understand the process. "It's clear we made a mistake," he said.
Mr Zuckerberg bought a 700-acre estate on the Hawaiian island, where he says his family wish to "put down roots".
However, the estate is littered with a number of small parcels of land called kuleana.
Kuleana rights are part of the history of the Hawaiian islands, as the small areas of land were handed out to native tenant farmers in the 1850s. The access, fishing, and water rights can be complex.
The Facebook CEO said he had asked the courts to find the owners of abandoned plots so he could settle ownership with them - many of whom, he said, would not even know they owned any land.
Image copyright facebook.com/zuck
But he faced criticism from some locals, including state representative Kaniela Ing, who argued the effective compulsory purchase would limit access rights for native Hawaiians.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38780822
