This could have some serious shockwaves for new projects in the future. The forthcoming "web 3.0" movement of third-party data categorization will dealt a serious blow if this goes through. Hopefully the judge in this case understands what is at stake.
Since the internet is new, let’s look at an example with a more traditional media: TV. If NBC broadcast live from a baseball game and someone jumps in front of the camera and blurts out that Bill Murphy's wife is sleeping around on him, does Bill have the right to sue NBC?
Internet searches act like a TV camera that is perpetually on a live feed. They aren't creating what you see, only transmitting it as it comes. Google will have some high powered lawyers on this and I am sure they will win, but in the off chance that they lose, the slope has just gotten slippery.
fruityoaty
· 2 years ago
Why should Google be held responsible for sites that they didn't create? The owners of those sites spewing defamatory literature... have the right to be idiots and be held accountable for THEIR actions.
Steve
· 2 years ago
Both of you make great points. You can't blame content aggregaters for the content that they aggregate. I think Google has taken more action in this case than they should be required to. Asking for more borders on silly.
lakedaemon
· 2 years ago
I read this in the paper yesterday and what I find rather amusing about the whole case is that because the original defamatory comments were made anonymously on a forum he couldn't sue the originators of the libel and instead set sights on Google.
I am willing to put money on this not going against Google. I studied law and the repercussions of such a ruling would have such a massive fall out that the legal system would be inundated with cases. Judges won't do anything to dramatically rock the status quo.
London Flats
· 1 year ago
I think this is the right move from Google. They have again proved that, it is not easy to cheat them and that they are always going to hit back hard.
I hope this serves as a lesson.
Tampa Real Estate Agents
· 1 year ago
Oh man that guy has some nerve and I think this is something that can cause a few heads to turn.
Wonder who will take the blame in the end? I think this is just a minor hiccup to Google.
Home Inspection NJ
· 4 months ago
Anybody know what happened to the case? I'm betting the guy's claims were not accepted. Google is only a search engine, they cant be sued for something that they did not author...
All Comments
Since the internet is new, let’s look at an example with a more traditional media: TV. If NBC broadcast live from a baseball game and someone jumps in front of the camera and blurts out that Bill Murphy's wife is sleeping around on him, does Bill have the right to sue NBC?
Internet searches act like a TV camera that is perpetually on a live feed. They aren't creating what you see, only transmitting it as it comes. Google will have some high powered lawyers on this and I am sure they will win, but in the off chance that they lose, the slope has just gotten slippery.
I am willing to put money on this not going against Google. I studied law and the repercussions of such a ruling would have such a massive fall out that the legal system would be inundated with cases. Judges won't do anything to dramatically rock the status quo.
I hope this serves as a lesson.
Wonder who will take the blame in the end? I think this is just a minor hiccup to Google.
I'm betting the guy's claims were not accepted. Google is only a search engine, they cant be sued for something that they did not author...