3 Count: Google Vows

Jonathan BaileyMay 19, 2011

2 minutes read

Have any suggestions for the 3 Count? Let me know via Twitter @plagiarismtoday.

1: Google Vows to Fight Antipiracy Bill Even if Passed

First off today, Google has vowed to fight the PROTECT IP bill now before Congress in the U.S., even if the bill makes it to law. The bill would, in part, require search engines, like Google, to remove infringing sites and may also result in sites being blocked by ISPs. Google’s chairman Eric Shmidt said in a statement that Google would not comply with any such law if it were passed. This caused a backlash from both the MPAA and RIAA, the former of which accused Google of attempting to profit from illegal activity. Other Google representatives took a much more conciliary tone, saying that they would work with lawmakers to make sure that PROTECT IP was properly targeted.

2: Why Eminem Isn’t Getting Money From The Universal Suit (Yet)

Next up today, Eminem’s recent royalty victory over Universal Music Group, his label, may not actually net him any profits directly. The suit, which stems over royalties owed for digital downloads, was filed by FBT Productions, the company that first signed and produced Eminem. The victory, which may be worth as much as $30 million pending on the outcome of a trial on damages, will not see any of the money go to the rapper. According to experts, he will have to go separately to Universal and either sue directly or negotiate for his settlement. There is no word yet if Eminem intends to do that.

3: Baligam sues Groupon for copyright infringement

Finally today, coupon company Baligam is suing the U.S. company Groupon for both copyright and trademark infringement. According to Baligam, Groupon used content from the company to steal search engine traffic away from them during Groupon’s run up to its introduction in Israel. Baligam notices the alleged infringement when they were searching for their name in Google and found a landing page for Groupon’s future Israel expansion near the top of the results. Baligam says they contacted Groupon to have them stop using the content but it was to no avail. Groupon officially entered the country through its acquisition of Baligam’s former competitor Groupler. The lawsuit seeks NIS 550,000 (approx $155,00) in damages.

Suggestions

That’s it for the three count today. We will be back tomorrow with three more copyright links. If you have a link that you want to suggest a link for the column or have any proposals to make it better. Feel free to leave a comment or send me an email. I hope to hear from you.