We're Google. So sue us.

Google attracts millions of Web users. And, increasingly, it's attracting the attention of plenty of lawyers, too.
The New York Times

The story "We're Google. So sue us." published October 23, 2006 at 5:38 AM is no longer available on CNET News.

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[bobby_brady]

Lawyers salivating over Google's money stash

Since lawyers only "make" their money by raiding someone elses money stash, their lining up to sue Google, to get at their money stash. The same way flies are attracted to cow dung.

[J_Satch]

Exactly

And lawyers are just as full of crap as the flies. If only we could swat them...

[tipper_gore]

apple pie

This phenomenon is as American as apple pie. Some people knock it, but opportunistic bastards are what make America great, so get over it.

[Heebee Jeebies]

Google is eveil...

They are the new Microsoft for the internet and feel they can do whatever they want. Google is evil and should be boycotted and lawyers should go after them until only their bleached white bones are left.<br /><br />Then they should go after Wal-Mark, Yahoo!, Apple and then take another stab at Microsoft.<br /><br />Robert

[Heebee Jeebies]

Google is evil...

They are the new Microsoft for the internet and feel they can do whatever they want. Google is evil and should be boycotted and lawyers should go after them until only their bleached white bones are left.<br /><br />Then they should go after Wal-Mark, Yahoo!, Apple and then take another stab at Microsoft.<br /><br />Robert

[J_Satch]

So...

...exactly who SHOULDN'T the lawyers go after? I just hope I live to see the day when someone goes after the lawyers.

[jones_8099]

Ok so why Apple?

I'm not a fanboy i use Windows all the time but why should they go <br />after Apple? I mean I can kinda understand Wal-Mart and maybe <br />Microsoft but why Apple?

[qwerty75]

Google does step over the line often

For some reason they have a lilly-white image, but their practices are far more "not evil".<br /><br />The core of their problem is that they seem to believe they can copy and index whatever they please. The current issues over books is but one example.<br /><br />Another is how they will cache an entire website without explicit permission. Something like that should be opt-in, not opt-out.<br /><br />Take a look at what you give up for when using gmail. <br /><br />However, in their arrogance, they stomp over anything they please. Like MS it will catch up to them eventually.

[chuck_whealton]

Re: Google does step over the line often

I agaree with you - they're anything but "lily-white". I consider <br />them more of a danger to our society than any other company of <br />their type.<br /><br />I'd love nothing more than to watch them go down HARD. <br /><br />Unfortunately, having good lawyers seems to trump ethics.<br /><br />Charles R. Whealton<br />Charles Whealton @ pleasedontspam.com

[coryschulz]

Google is not evil...

Infact, I think of them to be saviors of the internet and of human moral values.<br /><br />I am very loyal to Google, so my opinion is definitely biased, but they are not motivated by money and power alone. There is something genuine to Google and the way they have developed their business and the internet that naturally attracts people.<br /><br />There are some things they could do a little better, but for the most part everything about their company is good. Especially they way they treat their employees. That also reflects on how much respect they have for their customers.<br /><br />I assure you that documenting information and making it widely searchable to everyone everywhere is nowhere near evil. It is evolution.<br /><br />Google = Evolution<br /><br />There, I said it...

[VI Joker]

True...

...indexing information and making it widely searchable is a very noble plan, however if the information does not belong to Google or is not free to use by everyone then they should seek permission from other BEFORE they index it. Some people and businesses would not mind having a their information available to a wider audience, as long as its mutually benifical. Google operates under the principle of its better to ask for forgiviness then permission, and at some point its going to cost them.

[amy.licious]

no risk no return

sure, it's true that AdSense pays their rent. but that's wayyy yesterday's papers. what google's been embarked upon for the past couple years is creative destruction in an industry that hasn't seen a player of its financial &#38; legal muscle take on the world in a quarter century. i applaud their strategy. let's face it ~ taking on microsoft is a dirty job but someone had to do it. and for those who're back in the mindset of evil / non-evil, c'mon...google is neither. google's aim is the same as any public company's ~ to grow the benefits accruing to their stakeholders.

[frmorrison]

No

Google is responsible for many innovations on the web, they are a great outfit. <br /><br />If you don't like them, stop using google.com and its services.

[jones_8099]

Which means?

you will have to stop doing searches within most web-pages <br />because most all web-pages with a search bar use Google. Not to <br />mention most internet browsers use Google for their built-in <br />search. I however will continue using Google (because they are <br />good at what they do), I only have one problem with Google and <br />that is they allow other countries (like China) to censor search <br />results. I think they should pull out of a country before censoring <br />results, but thats just my opinion.