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Google's Legal Responsibility Concerning Defamatory Content It Crawls
from the whose-fault? dept
Someone from domain registrar dotWORLDS submitted their own press release about how they're filing a lawsuit against Google for defamation and slander -- but looking over the details, you have to question dotWORLDS' legal standing here. The actual complaint isn't entirely clear -- and even the company admits in the press release that its own legal standing is shaky, at best. The complaint is that Google somehow "refuses to address libel" on its website -- but that's not quite true. Google is simply a search engine. If another site is posting libelous information, then that site can be sued. It's not Google's fault for finding the page. It is true that the original page was removed and remained in Google's index for some time, but that's a function of how search engines work, and hardly seems likely to make Google liable. At the same time, as if to reinforce the ridiculousness of the suit, the company admits that if it wins, it could mean Google (and, we presume, every other search engine) would need to scrutinize every website that goes into its index. So far, the law is pretty clear that service providers aren't liable for any third party content that goes into their platform -- so it's unlikely that Google has any responsibility, no matter how much this company might wish it were so.
Reader Comments (rss)
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Caching
The real problem is getting search engines to remove cached information. I have had to do this because of things like SSNs. Try finding anything more than an email address to contact for most search sites. Finding a real live person who can do anything is impossible.
And then it takes days, if not weeks, for the material to be removed.
EMA
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Talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth
Does the company realize that without Google they almost certainly wouldn't have found out about the offending pages?
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No Subject Given
I wonder if its just google showing these up or does Yahoo or MSN also post them or others like Altavista and Askejeeves.
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Google & Defamation
You repeat the Google mantra invented by their CEO. However, after that CNet journalist Google-ed their CEO and presented findings in an article, Google went nuts.
And let's not forget that Google not only "organizes information that's already out there" - they also archive it in their cache. So some Web site may have a link to this defaming content stored in Google cache, which is as defaming as is the original content posted on the defaming site (which Google scanned and cached).
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Google - dotWORLDS Libel Claim
Dear Mike
May we add a short note to your comments
It is a fact that following dotWORLDS defamation complaint, Google began withdrawing several links from its Search Engine. Although this process has taken and is taking an inordinate amount of time, we calculate that something like 1500 separate items have now been deleted from their records. (You can even see some of Google's own notes to this effect, published on their websites referring users to ChillingEffects.org)
Whilst we take on board your comments, we believe that this is not the end of the story (we cannot go into more detail at this time). Furthermore, it seems that the rules are quietly being tightened as more and more attention is drawn to the problem - eg the recent matter relating to Seigenthaler and Wikipedia.
Of course it is impossible to confront the author of an anonymous posting if you do not know who he/she/it is. So what would happen if someone, unsigned, were to libel you on the Internet claiming you to be a thief and a criminal. Google could have that “information” published on its website almost immediately and it could remain there for the next 30 years. Would you settle for no right of redress?
Yes, there are easier jobs than taking on Google, but all that we have ever asked of them is that they kindly finish the job that they already started.
We are still asking them
Regards
dotWORLDS
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Yes, yahoo has the same problem - actually they are probably more difficult to get hold of than Google.
Eric
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lol,
Then they are equally guilty.
If you check their main page in the source, you'll find a link to www.statcounter.com in the code - at the very end.
Well, if you go to statcounter.com - they have google ads - linking back to google. So from the 'linking' perpective, they are - themselves linking back to google, by proxy.
That - and check their 'FAQ' - I found this.
Will my domain name appear on Google?
We are currently setting up a system for spidering these sites on Google. Users will be advised when the system is ready by a newsletter.
Keep your e-mail of registrations always working to receive the dotWORLDS newsletter. top
If that's not lame - I'm not sure what is.
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Actually, you can kick my butt for not reading it all - sorry :O
Just ignore my above rambling - ok, see your point ;)
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Sue The Libelist Not A Search Tool
It is not Google's fault that anonymity exists. The bottom line is that Google did NOT make libelist statements against you and you are wrong to sue them. If it is that important to you, get a court order for the logs of the website and sue the libelist. Otherwise suck it up - remember that if it is libel it means it is not true, and truth ultimately wins.
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The precedent has already been set…
A few years ago I purchased a house, my first foray into being a homeowner. As it turns out, a man that had owned the house about ten years prior had robbed a bank and fled the country.
One day I had a knock at the door, when I answered it I found the local sheriff at my door waiting to handcuff me. Turns out that they didn't think they would ever actually catch the man, but they did know that he had once lived at my address. They got to punish someone I guess. I should be out of jail by the time I'm 75, but I guess that's just how this stuff works.
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dorks.
I think the REAL solution for Google would be to just remove you from EVERY DAMN REFERENCE on their search engine that leads to you. You would come begging them to put you back on.
Sue the ones that are the problem, not just the one that have the money and will get your name in the news.
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Re: Google - dotWORLDS Libel Claim
That's like sueing Wal-Mart because they don't clean the marker off the bathroom stalls that say "for a good time call Brittany xxx-xxx-xxxx."
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dotworlds sucks. End of story.
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Stephen has the right idea
Ensure that google return zero results if the query contains dotworlds, and see if at the end of the day, you feel like your little ploy was worth it.
Page hits: 6 (all from *.dotworlds.com)
:(!
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dotworld is full of the lowest forms
I say openly and outwardly that dotworld is a bag of monkeys. Maybe you should sue a library that has a book in it that you dont like. If your thinking thats a good idea, thats the signal that your stupid.
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crime
I find my name and name of my friend is usedon on google for criminal purpose. Please, contact me as soon as posible to prevent further troubles for your company.
Kind Regards
ljubo
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FOR NEWSPAPER REPORTERS ALL OVER THE WORLD
FOR NEWSPAPER REPORTERS ALL OVER THE WORLD
My philosophy is response to ideology about genocide nations which was very popular in last century when they have proclaimed all Germans, Italian, Japanese and other nations as genocide ones it doesn’t matter who individuals were responsible for the war. That was collective responsibility and even their newborn babies suffered such labeling it doesn’t matter were they responsible for the wars or not. The same philosophy had been applied about Serbs. Not only Serbs children are suffering because of that ideology but these in Africa too it doesn’t matter were these countries in the war or not because we are whole by ourselves and part of the whole. That ideology doesn’t fit into my explanation of the Theory of Everything and my software. Yes I am Serb by nationality but not Serb by profession.
As my book is going to be printed in hundreds millions of copies I have decided as follows:
I am going to build monument to my killed boy in Botswana. That will be in the form of grant which will be named after him as a victim of that ideology. The price will be granted to scientists, artists, philosophers and the most honorable newspaper reporter every year in the Institute of the Theory of Everything which I will build in Botswana.
On this list lawyers and judges will be included when they start to practice Cosmic Law and Cosmic justice.
I am going to build International Cosmic Law Centre and Cosmic Court in Belgrade too.
I am going to open fund for tortured, hungry and abused children all over the world it doesn’t matter which skin color, nation and religion they are.
Another fund will be for stray dogs all over the world.
I will nominate International Committee to take care of these funds and International Cosmic Court in Belgrade too. Criteria for getting grant, work in Cosmic Court and funds will be established by Committee with very high standards and Committee will be judged by father Cosmos every day and be replaced if they are not up to father Cosmos standards. Any deception or stealing money from these funds will be punished and all people who will donate money in these funds will be in position to control them every single day it doesn’t matter where they are located.
My philosophy will be opportunity to establish regulations in your professional field, become trustworthy profession and make contribution to my philosophy and humankind in general. Don’t expect from me to tell you the story which is not important any more. I am just using their crime and their professional ignorance to help to wide number of people and make space for my boy to live in eternity, decrease pain to his mother, let her to know that she was not alone in her pain and her sweetheart son wasn’t killed for nothing, for revenge to his killers and to be reminder for all criminals on the planet Earth their crimes are written in father Cosmos memory.
I will use this opportunity to invite all people on planet Erath to join to Intergalactic nation to which we belong since we were born in Supernova explosion and passed phases of paramecium’s, worm’s and lizard’s nationalities. Remember, our lungs are important to father Cosmos but not our skin color, nations and religious which were reasons for all wars in mankind history. I can give guaranty to the people who turn back to their original Intergalactic nation they will not be manipulated by others any more. You will know who is working behind your back, why you have lost your job, what your friends think about you, who and why somebody has killed someone dear to you and all other things which were troubling you so far. You will need this more and more because by passage of time Earth magnetosphere will continue weakening and our EGO-s will be less controllable by SUPER- EGO- father Cosmos. Confirmations for that are earthquakes which will be more and more frequent in the future until Earth becomes flat like Mars is.
I am inviting all people from the planet Earth to come to visit grave of my killed boy to manifest your disagreement with this crime and in such way to help to tortured, hungry and abused children and stray dogs all over the world. After you visit Botswana you are welcome to visit Serbia and other countries of former Yugoslavia and see how they are friendly and good people but nor war makers and war criminals and they just wish to live in peace like all other people all over the world. In such way you will again help to tortured hungry and abused children and stray dogs all over the world. Please, when you are paying your bills in these countries, even airplane or buss tickets in your countries for traveling don’t forget to remind them that 1% of that money (tax-free) is going for my stepchildren and stray dogs. If you are buying Botswana’s diamonds as well remind them on that 1% tax free money. Remember, there are hundreds millions of hungry children and stray dogs and you can’t eat more than three meals per day than why not donate that money of your forth meal for my stepchildren and stray dogs and make them happy. Father Cosmos will notice that in his memory and grant you or your descendents for your good deeds. Why not to make governments of your countries to employ money for opening new working places for you and for these in poor countries to feed yours and their children instead to produce weapons and spend money on soldiers whose job is to kill other people? Remember, animals never kill for pleasure or for money than why we need all these soldiers, weapons especially atomic bombs to pay from our pockets! Are we supporting killers from our pockets!? Are we worst than animals? No, we are the most advanced and the cleverest species on the planet Earth, aren’t we? By promoting and using my philosophy peace on this planet could finally be established. We have to protect the only planet where we can live and help to our father Cosmos to digest us on his way and at his time. I will let you know account number for support my stepchildren and stray dogs when the time comes.
I just did it my way!
Dr. Ljubo Djurdjevic
Author of the Theory of Everything- Cosmic Law
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