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Update 24: November 14, 2004

 

1. First Iranian Google Bomb

In 2001, Adam Mathes coined the term "Google bombing" and explained how the ranking of a given site in search results returned by Google can be influenced: Due to the way that Google's algorithm works, a website will be ranked higher if the sites that link to that page all use consistent text. Links & Law has reported about Googlebombing in the past. At the end of last year the search for "miserable fuilure" brought up  the biography of the president on the White House website, see Update 12).

This month the first Iranian blogopshere's Google bombing has been successfull. Thanks to efforts by thousands of Iranian bloggers, the search for "arabian gulf" resulted in the following search result:

"The Gulf You Are Looking For Does Not Exist. Try Persian Gulf.

The gulf you are looking for is unavailable. No body of water by that name has ever existed. The correct name is Persian Gulf, which always has been, and will always remain, Persian."

The googlebombing was done because of National Geographic's recently published Eighth Edition Atlas of the World. In the atlas both a primary name, "Persian Gulf", and an alternative secondary name, (Arabian Gulf), is used for the body of water situated between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. Iran insists on calling the waters the "Persian Gulf" and banned National Geographic reporters and sales of the magazine until it corrects the atlas. National Geographic reacted  with a press release about the issue.

2. Links to Illegal Playmate Pictures

According to the regional court Munich I (AZ. 7 O 18165/03), the operator of a link catalog, to which unknown third parties can add links, is not obliged to check for possible illegal content on the linked to sites. Otherwise the entire business model of such a link catalog would be in question.

Defendants website contained a list of links which lead to websites with erotic content. Everyone could add links without prior examination of the defendant. In spring 2002 an unknown person added a link, which led to a homepage, on which among other things ten naked photos of a former Playboy Covergirl could be seen. The playmate had only given the right of reproduction to the Playboy but not to the operator of the linked to site. She required the deletion of the link and payment of damages. The playmate justified her complaint with the fact that the defendant did  not check new links.

Defendant deleted the link, after he was informed that the operator of the linked to website did not possess the copyright for the photos published there. The court found that the defendant did not make himself liable to pay damages, because he was not obligated to check every new link for possible violations of law. However there is the obligation for the operator to remove a link after he gains knowledge.

  • October 31, 2004: Anbieter von Link-Katalogen haften nicht für fremde Links zu illegalen Aktfotos, Heise, http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/52770:
    "Das Bereithalten eines Katalogs im Internet, in denen Dritte ungeprüft Hyperlinks zu externen pornografischen Websites eintragen können, begründet für den Betreiber keine Pflicht zum Schadensersatz, wenn die fremden Verknüpfungen auf Seiten mit kopierten Nacktbildern führen."

 

3. Hyperlinks to websites selling pirate devices illegal in the USA

Comcast of Illinoi X LLC alleged that Hightech Electronics Inc. operated a website that included hyperlinks to over 30 other sites that sold cable piracy devices. The District Court for the Northern District of Illinoi found that the hyperlinks are violating the DMCA. The court reached this conclusion after noting that other courts have imposed DMCA liability for linking (e.g. Universal City Studios v. Reimerdes, Universal Studios v. Reimerdes).

Text of the decision

 

4. Do Hyperlinks cause confusion? Court says "No!"

The mere appearence on a website of a hyperlink to another website is not enough to cause visitors to think the two sites are associated - especially where the sites advertise different services and one site rebukes the other in its online commentary, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled July 29, 2004.

Text of the Decision

 

5. Yahoo and Google sued again

Yahoo, Google and several other major websites and companies have been hit with a lawsuit saying they carry online gambling ads in violation of California law. The lawsuit demands that the companies stop accepting advertisements based on searches for terms such as "illegal gambling," "Internet gambling" and "California gambling."

  • August 5, 2004: Mithaftung für kontext-bezogene Werbung?, intern.de:
    "Google, Yahoo und etliche andere Suchmaschinen stehen vor einem neuen Problem. Eine in Kalifornien eingeleitete Sammelklage behauptet, dass die Suchhilfen bewusst Werbeaufträge von Glücksspiel-Anbietern annehmen. Doch das verstößt gegen kalifornisches Recht."

  • August 3, 2004: Ben, Charny, Major Web sites hit with suit over gambling ads, News.com:
    "Some gambling ads on Google, Yahoo and other major Web sites are illegal in California, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday."


Complaint

 

New in Decisions

 

Liability 

Links to websites that sell infringing devices can violate the DMCA

 

  • Knight-Mc Connell v. Cummins, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, S.D.N.Y., 03 Civ. 5035 (NRB),  Decision of July 29, 2004,

Commercial Law - Likelihood of Confusion 

The mere appearance on a website of a hyperlink to another site will not lead a webuser to conclude that the owner of the site he is

visiting is associated with the owner of the linked site. This is particularly true in this case because defendant’s website advertises 

real estate and web design services, not investment services, and defendant is continuously disassociating herself from plaintiff by 

criticising her and accusing her of misconduct.

 

  • LG München I,  Urteil vom 11.12.2003, Az 7 O 13310/03:
    Liability
    Der Betreiber eines Linkverzeichnisses im Internet, in das Dritte unkontrolliert Einträge vornehmen können, verletzt seine Verkehrssicherungspflicht, wenn ein Link zu einer Webseite mit rechtswidrigem Inhalt weist. Er kann sich nicht darauf berufen, aufgrund der mehreren Tausend Links die von ihm geschaffene Gefahrenquelle nicht mehr beherrschen zu können.
    Die Haftungsprivilegierungen der §§ 8-11 TDG sind für Links weder direkt noch analog anwendbar.

 

  • LG München I, Urteil vom 7.10.2004, Az 7 O 18165/03:
    Liability
    Die Veröffentlichung von Nacktfotos eines Playboy-Models ohne dessen Einwilligung über einen Link in einem durch Werbebanner erzeugten pornographischen Umfeld verletzt deren Persönlichkeitsrecht.
    Einem Internetunternehmen ist es auch außerhalb des Anwendungsbereichs des TDG nicht zuzumuten, jedes Drittangebot vor der Veröffentlichung auf mögliche Rechtsverletzungen hin zu untersuchen, das diese Obliegenheit das gesamte Geschäftsmodell in Frage stellen würde. Eine allgemeine Internetverkehrssicherungspflicht für das Setzen von Links besteht nicht. Links zu rechtswidrigen Angeboten sind unverzüglich nach Kenntniserlangung zu löschen.

 

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Latest News - Update 71

Legal trouble for YouTube in Germany

Germany: Employer may google job applicant

EU: Consultation on the E-Commerce-Directive

WIPO Paper on tradmarks and the internet

The ECJ and the AdWords Cases

 

 

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