Comments on: Google Loses Domain Name Dispute Over Groovle.com

By: adam

adam — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 21:54:54 +0000

I see your point. This is a valid argument. However, the real issue on the legal front will most likely be on the policy front, and the question is, “Should Google be regulated?” Is it at the point where it must be regulated?

Before you answer that, remember that each life-changing industry from the past (railroads, telephone, oil, automobile) evolved on its own into a monopoly that required regulation to enforce ethical behavior. If you see the penalties that many webmasters see, and the nontransparent nature of our relationship with Google, you will realize that we are already at the monopolization point, without the regulation.

By: Adam Strong

Adam Strong — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 21:32:48 +0000

Google is a private business. Unfortunately, they can do whatever they want and I am not a believer in government controls on matters like that. I suggest you use another search engine in protest and tell your friends to do the same. Companies that do “bad things” stop doing them when people stop paying them/using them.

I’m sure many businesses are left out of the yellow pages too, for whatever reasons they decide.

By: adam

adam — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 20:25:23 +0000

It was interesting to read your view of how Google tried to hijack this domain. Here is another aspect of Google going overboard, I think. It’s been their practice to remove domain names from search (claiming the websites violated their “guidelines”. Now US courts have consistently ruled that domains are intangible property and their owners (registrants) enjoy all property owners rights. I would understand if they lowed website rank, penalize content etc.
They don’t penalize content- you can find mountains of child porn indexed by them, just search. But they completely remove domains of legal businesses from index because of their obscure “webmaster guidelines”. How do you think this is legal? Is it not an abuse of corporate power, given their practically monopoly status on search?
It’s like Yellow Pages would remove an address from the book, like it does not exist-is it not the same?

By: ahmet kurt

ahmet kurt — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 20:03:20 +0000

Chalk one up for the little guy.

By: article marketing

article marketing — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 06:36:31 +0000

Google must to admit that they are not the one who owns the internet.

By: Google Loses Domain Name Dispute Over Groovle.com | Domain Name News | IT News

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:34:37 +0000

[...] Google Loses Domain Name Dispute Over Groovle.com | Domain Name News [...]

By: Josh

Josh — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:13:03 +0000

Glad to see the decision, finally the criteria was followed and the out come reflected it.

By: J.R. Jackson

J.R. Jackson — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:03:19 +0000

Chalk one up for the little guy.

By: Michael Bilde

Michael Bilde — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 14:57:40 +0000

Good decision. Google should take it easy sometimes. They are only creating enemies.

By: Google Loses Domain Name Dispute Over Groovle.com

Google Loses Domain Name Dispute Over Groovle.com — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 13:36:16 +0000

[...] Internet giant Google.com has lost an arbitration case over the domain name Groovle.com. In a decision released today, The National Arbitration Forum, dismissed Google’s complaint which claimed that it was entitled to the domain name Groovle.com. Google claimed that the domain name is “confusingly similar” to its trademark for “Google”. The unanimous three person panel ruled that Groovle.com “is not confusingly similar” to Google’s trademark, “Google”. Google has commenced 65 similar domain name disputes and this is only the second time that it has ever lost. Domain name lawyer and Internet law expert, Zak Muscovitch is responsible for successfully defending the “little guy” against the mega-corp Google. The domain is owned by Canadian entrepreneurs Jacob Fuller and Ryan Fitzgibbon, who launched Groovle.com in 2007. As Fuller explains, “Groovle was created to provide users the ability to upload photos and customize their Internet start page. We thought it would be a cool feature to have a nice photo of friends, family etc., every time you launch your web browser”. Says Fitzgibbon, “since we launched Groovle in 2007, Google, Bing and Ask.com have each come out with something similar”. The pair are elated with the decision. “We were stunned when Google launched the domain name dispute as we have great respect for Google and have always had a good relationship with them”, said Fitzgibbon. Fuller added that, “Google never had anything to fear from our web site. The arbitrators’ decision that the two domain names are sufficiently different should put Google at ease and we look forward to a renewed positive relationship with Google”. Muscovitch concluded “Google clearly miscalculated here however my clients are prepared to put this behind them”. Adam Strong [...]