July 20, 2005
Microsoft sues Google
Software company Microsoft has sued Google for hiring one of its vice presidents, Dr Kai-Fu Lee to establish a research centre in China.
According to web consultancy Shanghai iResearch, Google holds 21.2% of the Chinese search market where the two companies, which provide online and desktop search tools, are in fierce competition. Google is the third most popular web search engine in China, after Baidu.com and Yahoo.
Dr Kai-Fu Lee played a key role in the development of Microsoft's search tools. According to Microsoft, his contract prohibits him from working for direct rivals for one year. Google, however, says the claim has no merit.
Dr Lee has been appointed president of Google’s expanding Chinese business. Microsoft is seeking a court order to enforce the confidentiality and non-compete agreements in Dr Lee’s contract. Microsoft also claims that Google intentionally assisted Lee in disobeying the terms the contract.
The Chinese internet market is second only in size to the US market. There are expected to be 135 million internet users in China by the end of the year.
Posted at 04:44 PM
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January 20, 2005
Google appeals French trademark judgement
Google are appealing against a ruling by a judge in France, which seeks to prevent the serving of AdWords on display of trademarked hotel chain.
Le Meridien had served legal proceedings on Google, after hotel chain rivals were found to have their own ads prominantly displayed in search for "Le Meridien".
Although in a similar case in the US, Google was found not to be in violation of trademark, if the French judge's decision is upheld it could spell potential trouble for Google's generation of revenue.
Google currently earn 98% of their income from AdWords programs, and if their appeal fails it could create serious problems for revenue generation in European markets.
Posted at 10:44 PM
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January 19, 2005
Google Desktop Search used in Peer to Peer file-swapping application
In a move that raises a range of uncomfortable legal issues for Google, its Desktop Search tool has been used in the development of an application for large-scale file-swapping.
DNKA remote desktop search tool acts as a webserver that utilises Google Desktop Search to allow other people to remotely search and download files from a users computer.
Although the development company tries to indicate postive uses for the application, the notion of Google software being used to create peer-to-peer networks can only be an acute concern for the company, especially in the face of high-profile legal actions by music and film corporations, not least the RIAA and BPI.
Posted at 09:41 PM
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December 20, 2004
Google Library Project: concerns raised
Nick Wilson at Threadwatch raises concerns over the Google Library Project.
He points out simmering copyright objections express both by Daniel Brandt at Google Watch, and also carried by an article from the Times, in All the world�fs best books at a click in which concerns are expressed at one single organisation effectively owning "proprietary rights" over all the material it digitises for search.
Ultimately, issues about electronic rights may also sour the process, an issue that Google is no stranger to. Concerns already exist that other methods of Google storing and processing information, such as website caches, may violate international copyright laws. However, Google feels that it works well within the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
Posted at 09:19 PM
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November 21, 2004
Google profits from copyright violations: claim
According to industry publiction RedHerring.com, Google has been issued a lawsuit by a company alledging Google profits from copyright infringement of its products.
More to the point - Perfect 10 are alleging that Google's use of image search not only directs users to illegally distributed images from the company, but also that Google benefits from promotions of these copyright violations.
More info on that story here:
Perfect 10 claims Google gives it away
I can only presume that responsibility for the Trojans, spyware, and viruses, otherwise embedded in the pages of a lot of image search porn, are not being claimed for by Perfect 10. :)
Somehow I can't help but feel that the case smacks of marketing more than litigation.
Posted at 03:39 PM
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