CLICK FRAUD CONCERNS HOUND GOOGLE DESPITE SETTLEMENT
An AP article reports on problems plaguing Google over its click-fraud settlement. Some companies say that Google is trying to short-change them and thousands of other
advertisers by offering refunds totalling $60 million to settle a lawsuit. The refunds, which will be provided in the form of advertising credits, are meant to compensate Google's customers for undetected click fraud, which contributed to the $13.3 billion in ad revenue that has poured into the company since 2001.
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/14530012.htmGOOGLE TO SHUT DOWN ORKUT COMMUNITIES AT BRAZIL'S REQUEST
Google has agreed to shut down some communities on its
popular Orkut social networking site because the Brazilian
government says they advocate violence and human rights
violations. In recent years, news reports have linked
drug-dealing operations and organized fights between soccer
fans to Orkut communities. One community allegedly advocated
killing the president and planting a bomb in Congress and
explained those thing might be done.
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/14658299.htmGOOGLE RETAINS LEAD IN U.S. SEARCH MARKET
Google's share of the US Web search market continues to edge
beyond Yahoo and Microsoft, according to the latest monthly
numbers released by analysis firm ComScore Networks. The
search giant's market share among home, work, and university
Internet users climbed from 42.7 percent to 43.1 percent
from March to April of this year, up from 36.5 percent in
April 2005.
http://news.com.com/2100-1038_3-6074893.htmlBEHIND THE GOOGLE BOOK SEARCH INITIATIVE
The NY Times Magazine ran a lengthy feature on the Google
Book Search program and the growing interest in scanning
millions of books, a move facilitated by technology and the
Internet.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/14/magazine/14publishing.htmlEX-GOOGLE ADVERTISER SUES TO BLOCK CLICK-FRAUD SETTLEMENT
A former Google Inc. advertiser sued Wednesday to block a
proposed $90 million class-action settlement, arguing the
amount grossly understates how much the online search engine
leader has benefited from a ruse known as ``click fraud.''
The complaint, filed by Joseph Kinney in Arkansas state
court, targets two small businesses -- Lane's Gifts &
Collectibles and Caufield Investigations -- leading a
class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of thousands of
merchants and entrepreneurs who have bought ads through
Google's search engine since 2001.
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/14548096.htmNY LAWMAKERS SUES GOOGLE OVER CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
A Long Island politician sued Google on Thursday claiming
the search engine leader is profiting from illegal child
pornography. Jeffrey Toback, a member of the Nassau County
Legislature, said Google has paid links to Web sites
containing pornography involving minors.
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8HDB6DO2.htmGOOGLE EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER BROWSER-SEARCH BUNDLING
With a $10 billion advertising market at stake, Google, the
fast-rising Internet star, is raising objections to the way
that it says Microsoft, the incumbent powerhouse of
computing, is wielding control over Internet searching in
its new Web browser. Google says it expressed concerns about
competition in the Web search business in recent talks with
the Justice Department and the European Commission, both of
which have brought previous antitrust actions against
Microsoft.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/01/technology/01google.htmlFRENCH PRESIDENT UNVEILS PLAN TO CREATE GOOGLE RIVAL
The French president, Jacques Chirac, yesterday unveiled
what he hopes will be his great legacy to France's struggle
against the global dominance of the US: a series of
technological projects including a European search engine to
rival Google. Named Quaero - Latin for "I search" - the
search engine aims to be the first to efficiently sort
through audio, images and video.
http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1761482,00.htmlGOOGLE WILL NOT FIGHT CHINESE CENSORSHIP
Google's chief executive, Eric E. Schmidt, says Google is
not lobbying to change China's censorship laws and, for now,
has no plans to do so. Schmidt was visiting China last week
to promote the company's new Chinese search engine and to
meet with officials of various Chinese ministries.
http://news.com.com/2100-1030_3-6060698.htmlSF PICKS GOOGLE AND EARTHLINK BID FOR WIFI INITIATIVE
Google's bid to blanket San Francisco with a free wireless
Internet service cleared a major hurdle Wednesday when a
city panel identified the search leader and EarthLink as the
best candidates for the ambitious project. The
recommendation, completing a six-week review, allows the
city to begin negotiations with Google and EarthLink, which
decided to team together earlier this year after initially
bidding against each other. The companies will pay to build
the entire network, which is expected to cost at least $15
million.
http://tinyurl.com/j5cpfCOURT DISMISSES SEARCH KEYWORD TRADEMARK CLAIMS
A US federal court ruled last week that the purchase by
Canadian pharmacies of search engine keywords using the name
of rival Merck's "Zocor" cholesterol reduction drug does not
constitute trademark infringement. The US District Court for
the Southern District of New York refused to dismiss the
claims of trademark dilution and false advertising, but
dismissed the trademark infringement claim related to the
keyword purchases.
http://news.com.com/2100-1030_3-6056754.htmlGOOGLE EARTH MAY CATCH A BREAK IN PATENT QUAKE
Google may get a break from a federal judge in a lawsuit
claiming the company's 3D Earth-mapping program violates
patent rights. The legal fight began in May 2004 when a
Virginia-based company called Skyline Software Systems filed
a patent-infringement suit against Keyhole. Google became
part of the suit after it acquired Keyhole in October 2004.
http://news.com.com/2100-1032_3-6056716.htmlCT. SENDS GOOGLE KEYWORD INFRINGEMENT CASE TO TRIAL
A court has ruled that a lawsuit over a company purchasing a
rival's trademark as a search keyword should go to trial, in
what could be the first case to scrutinize the trademark
infringement liability of keyword purchasers. Edina Realty
sued rival real estate company TheMLSonline.com, accusing it
of false advertising, trademark infringement and trademark
dilution. According to the suit, MLS used "Edina Realty" in
search terms purchased on Google and Yahoo, in the text of
the MLS ads that appeared on the two search sites, and in
hidden links and text on the MLS Web site.
http://news.com.com/2100-1024_3-6055768.html9TH CIRCUIT OVERTURNS YAHOO! FRANCE DECISION
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday ruled against
Yahoo in the company's attempt to persuade the court to
intervene in a landmark ruling in France over the sale of
Nazi memorabilia on its websites. The 99 page decision
focuses on the jurisdiction of the court and whether the
first amendment issues were ripe for consideration. Decision
at
http://caselaw.findlaw.com/data2/circs/9th/0117424P.pdfCoverage at
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10827880/http://news.com.com/2100-1030_3-6026749.htmlFEDERAL COURT HEARS ARGUMENTS IN GOOGLE NEWS CASE
BNA's E-commerce Law Daily reports on Wednesday's hearing
involving the suit by Agence France Press against Google
over the Google News service. At issue is whether news
headlines are copyrightable subject matter.
http://ipcenter.bna.com/pic2/ip.nsf/id/BNAP-6KYKF9?OpenDocument