Google avoids AdX breakup in ad tech antitrust case
Judge keeps the monopoly finding intact, but chooses behavioral remedies over a forced AdX sale, preserving Google's ad exchange.
Topic: Court
Google can keep Chrome, but exclusive search deals must end
A federal judge in the DOJ antitrust case ruled that Google must share its search data and end its use of exclusive contracts.
U.S. pushes for Google ad business breakup
A break up of Google’s ad tech business could reshape how advertisers reach audiences online, potentially disrupting the ad buying process.
Court: Google’s illegal ad tech monopoly harmed the open web
Judge rules Google maintained an illegal ad tech monopoly through anticompetitive practices that 'substantially harmed' users and publishers.
Google files its proposed remedies in DOJ’s monopoly case
Google was required to file its own remedies which include changes to browser agreements, Android contracts and more.
This day in search marketing history: February 22
Google page experience update for desktop rolls out, plus: Google’s Pirate Update impact, Google Shopping experience scorecard and more.
SEO 2021 in review: Endless updates, title rewrites, GMB becomes GBP and more
Despite facing a still-raging pandemic and a slew of updates, SEOs rose to the challenge. Here’s our recap of the year’s most important SEO stories and news.
Two major changes potentially coming to EU’s Right to Be Forgotten with global implications
Authorities in France considering automatic delisting for "sensitive personal data" and forcing global index removal.
Florida court: Google permitted to delist sites regarded as spam under First Amendment
The e-ventures Worldwide, LLC vs. Google case should have been dismissed earlier.
Canadian Court Orders Google To Remove Sites Worldwide
On the heels of Europe’s “Right to Be Forgotten” ruling, a British Columbia court in Canada has ruled Google must block a group of websites worldwide. The case was opened by industrial networking devices manufacturer Equustek Solutions, Inc. to block a network of websites it claims are owned by former associates who stole trade secrets […]
Court Finds Google’s Book Scanning Is Fair Use: Highlights From The Ruling
Nearly ten years after it began and eight years after Google was sued over it, Google’s program that scans books in order to make them searchable has been found legal. A judge found fair use, especially in that “Google Books does not supersede or supplant books because it is not a tool to be used to […]
SearchCap: The Day In Search, December 10, 2012
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: On Hanukkah Google Adds Festivus Decorations But No Dreidels This week is Hanukkah and typically Google adds holiday decorations in the form of Jewish Stars, Menorahs, Dreidels or other Hanukkah related […]
Google Wins Major Antitrust Victory In Brazil, Does It Foreshadow Broader EU & US Wins?
In addition to the various government antitrust investigations against Google going on around the world, there is a parallel world of private lawsuits by Google rivals and critics that make similar unfair competition or antitrust claims against Mountain View. They generally allege, among other things, that Google is unfairly referring traffic to its own “vertical […]
Australian Court Finds Google Responsible For Misleading Ads Placed By Its Advertisers
A Federal Appeals Court in Australia has found Google responsible for misleading ads that displayed when users searched for certain terms and received ads from competitors who had bid on those terms. The ruling, though it only applies in Australia, is important because one of Google’s most central beliefs — which has come up in […]
SearchCap: The Day In Search, March 20, 2012
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Wikipedia Appears On Google’s Page One Only 46% Of Time, Study Shows Wikipedia doesn’t pwn Google nearly as much as the SEO industry thinks it does. In fact, according to a […]
Judge Rejects Google’s Motion To Toss Out Street View Lawsuit
Google is currently considering its options after a federal judge gave the go-ahead for a group of consolidated lawsuits to proceed against the company over a potential violation of the Federal Wiretap Act. Wednesday’s decision by US District Judge James Ware, first reported by Wired, actually dismissed two of the three claims against Google, but […]
SearchCap: The Day In Search, April 5, 2011
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google Must Censor Google Instant In Italy For Derogatory Suggestions ZDNet UK reports the Court of Milan has ruled that Google has to filter the auto-completions that Google Instant provides in […]
Google Must Censor Google Instant In Italy For Derogatory Suggestions
ZDNet UK reports the Court of Milan has ruled that Google has to filter the auto-completions that Google Instant provides in Italy. The issue is that someone was searching for a particular name and Google offered search completions for the name with con man or fraud. The individual sued forcing Google to filter out those […]
Google Book Search Settlement Rejected By Court
Remember the Google Book (Class Action) Settlement? It’s been some time since there’s been any news. After many months of waiting, the court handed down its decision today — a defeat for Google and those who supported the settlement. The Authors Guild brought a class action lawsuit against Google in 2005 for “massive” copyright infringement […]
Google Agrees To Pay $3.5 Million In AdWords Settlement For Accidental Content Bids
I just received an email from Google stating Google has proposed a settlement agreement amounting to a total of $3.5 million. Google said it would apply to any AdWords advertiser who accrued charges from Google after leaving the “CPC content bid” field empty when creating a new AdWords campaign. If their ad was displayed on […]
SearchCap: The Day In Search, July 13, 2010
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google Claims Victory In French Supreme Court Keyword Trademark Case Google wrote that they were victorious in a ruling today by the French Supreme Court over trademark infringement charges brought to […]
Google Claims Victory In French Supreme Court Keyword Trademark Case
Google wrote that they were victorious in a ruling today by the French Supreme Court over trademark infringement charges brought to them by three companies. But not everyone agrees that Google was indeed the winner here. Google wrote: Today, the French Supreme Court was unequivocal in their rulings and anyone who reads them will be […]
Companies Ask Courts, Regulators To Restrain Google To Compensate For Own Competitive Failures
In a kind of parallel but interesting variation on the complaints filed in Europe against Google, now being investigated by the European Commission in a preliminary anti-trust inquiry, one of the European complainants Foundem has filed a brief with the US FCC concerning net neutrality. The complaints in Europe, broadly speaking, argue that Google has […]
US Dept. Of Justice: Court “Lacks Authority To Approve” Google Book Search Settlement
With a final “fairness hearing” scheduled for February 18, the US Department Of Justice has filed briefs (PDF) in opposition to the Google Book Search Amended Settlement Agreement (“ASA”). The DOJ commends the parties for their efforts to reach an amended agreement that addresses some of the problems with the original settlement but concludes that […]
Department Of Justice Files Objections To Google Book Search Settlement
As expected, the US Department Of Justice today has filed a list of objections and modifications it would like seen made in the proposed settlement to the Google Book Search lawsuit. It’s not saying that the settlement should go back to square one. In fact, it suggests that “momentum” potentially could be lost to improve […]
What AdWords Customers Need To Know About $20 Million Settlement
As many of you know, Google settled an AdWords class action suit for $20 million. Now, advertisers are receiving email notifications on what their rights are in this class action lawsuit. I read the settlement notice (PDF) and I’ll highlight what I feel most AdWords customers need to know. Probably the most important section is […]
SearchCap: The Day In Search, February 3, 2009
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web.
Another French Court Rules Against Google On Trademark Claim
Google has been ordered to pay a total of €350,000 ($454,000) for violating two companies’ trademarks by allowing other companies to bid on those marks in AdWords in France. Google is appealing. According to a report in The Register: When web users typed the trade marked terms ‘voyageur du monde’ and ‘terres aventure’ into Google […]
Google: Expects Viacom Will Take YouTube Data Without User Info
Since writing my WTF! US Court Declares You Have No Privacy On YouTube article, more information has come out suggesting that Google will be able to turn over information to Viacom about what’s watched on YouTube without having to say who exactly who was watching it. Nor, does it seem, that Viacom itself wants that […]
SearchCap: The Day In Search, December 14, 2007
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web.
Guge Vs. Google Chinese Court Hearing Begins
Chinese Company Takes Google to Court from the AP reports the case between Guge and Google has begun this week. Beijing’s Guge Sci-Tech Co. took Google China to court for infringement over their name. Guge Sci-Tech Co. registered the name on April 19, 2006 with Beijing Municipal Industrial and Commercial Bureau. Google China didn’t register […]
Yahoo Settlement Payouts In OMS Case Begin
Yahoo is distributing payments in the Online Merchant Systems class action settlement over alleged flaws in its bidding system.