Yesterday, Brian White reported on the Belgian court ruling for Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG). He disagreed with the ruling, saying that a) European countries tend to not adapt to trends, and b) Google only aggregates content and, as such, acts as a marketer.
Well, I must disagree with Brian. As for the first point, I wonder what made him decide that European countries aren't trend followers? Perhaps, it would be more accurate to say that European countries don't adapt to American-set trends but may have no problem with those of European origin. As for the second point, Google might very well act as a marketer, but if a site doesn't wish to be marketed, shouldn't it have that choice? Heck, if I I can ask for an unlisted phone number, why can't they?
So that was the initial ruling. But Google refused to adhere to part of it, the part that ordered Google to post a copy of the court order and all accompanying text on its website. Like a whining baby, Google called it "unnecessary and disproportionate." Brian White claims there is no law that should make Google post the ruling. My understanding is that anytime there is a court ruling, it becomes binding.
In any event, I find it odd, for a company that touts itself as becoming the world's knowledge database, that it of all companies should refuse to post the ruling. For a company that never asks permission to post anything and wants to post everything, choosing this one document to hide strikes me as opportunistic.
So Google appealed the requirement of the Belgian court to post the ruling and Google lost the appeal today.
Google plans to appeal again and, in the meantime, faces daily fines of about $640,000 for refusing to post the ruling on its Belgian home pages, Google.be and news.google.be.
Google is also planning to appeal the rest of the ruling, but it is complying to the other parts for now. Meaning, that if Google wants to publish news excerpts and small photos from Belgian, French and German newspapers, it will first have to seek permission and maybe even pay them (it pays the AP, doesn't it?).
It is quite possible Google will get permission to post these sites' content once their traffic drops, if it does, but until then, Google has been slapped and taught a lesson in humility, and I for one am happy.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-22-2006 @ 11:40PM
Gary E. Sattler said...
Dear Brian White,
In spite of how much I respect you sir I see this as your first big mistake. Please don't let pride get in the way of everything good you are doing. Smile at the Belgian Judge, post his tripe on your site and be done with them. If they don't choose to understand your intentions, then it's their problem. Let the big Judge feel good about himself. Prepare a refined strategy and slide right past them. C'mon, you're bigger than this! Act that way.
It would serve them right if you bought a couple of those marginal European rags and started competing directly.
Heck, Bill Gates bought a newspaper. There must be something to the idea!
Gary