http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=businessNews&storyID=2006-03-19T020836Z_01_KRA907614_RTRUKOC_0_US-TECH-GOOGLE-LAWSUIT.xml&archived=False


SAN FRANCISCO, March 18 (Reuters) - A parental advice Internet site has sued Google Inc., charging it unfairly deprived the company of customers by downgrading its search-result ranking without reason or warning.

The civil lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in San Jose, California, on Friday by KinderStart.com seeks financial damages along with information on how Google ranks Internet sites when users conduct a Web-based search.

Google could not immediately be reached for comment but the company aggressively defends the secrecy of its patented search ranking system and asserts its right to adapt it to give customers what it determines to be the best results.

KinderStart charges that Google without warning in March 2005 penalized the site in its search rankings, sparking a "cataclysmic" 70 percent fall in its audience -- and a resulting 80 percent decline in revenue.

At its height, KinderStart counted 10 million page views per month, the lawsuit said. Web site page views are a basic way of measuring audience and are used to set advertising rates.

"Google does not generally inform Web sites that they have been penalized nor does it explain in detail why the Web site was penalized," the lawsuit said.

While an entire sub-industry exists to help Web sites feature prominently in Google results, the company is known to punish those who try to trick the system into boosting their search rankings.

The lawsuit notes that rival search systems from Microsoft Corp.'s MSN and Yahoo Inc. feature Kinderstart.com at the top of their rankings when the name "Kinderstart" is typed in.

The complaint accuses Google, as the dominant provider of Web searches, of violating KinderStart's constitutional right to free speech by blocking search engine results showing Web site content and other communications.

KinderStart contends that once a company has been penalized, it is difficult to contact Google to regain good standing and impossible to get a report on whether or why the search leader took such action.

The suit was filed the same day a federal judge denied a U.S. government request that Google be ordered to hand over a sample of keywords customers use to search the Internet while requiring the company to produce some Web addresses indexed in its system.

nobody would search for kinderstart since it isn't a word to begin with

nobody would search for kinderstart since it isn't a word to begin with
Besides the point -
lawyers.. They'll stick it in anyway ;)

I think it's a silly suit.
They had no agreement (from the sounds of it) with Google for anything, so why should get expect a free service which isn't direct, to even generate traffic. silly people...

The complaint accuses Google, as the dominant provider of Web searches, of violating KinderStart's constitutional right to free speech by blocking search engine results showing Web site content and other communications.
Pretty much the same complaint that was brought in the suit by Search King a couple of years ago. Which makes it really a long shot to get anywhere, since that court ruled in 2003 that search engine rankings are "opinions," and so are [themselves/] protected as free speech. Essentially, Google can rank any site any way they want to, because they're just presenting their own opinion on how sites should be ranked.

if their traffic fell 70% then obviously google is the one who brought their popularity anyways.

By the way, for those who want facts as opposed to usually-flawed news articles about facts, the filing is available here as a pdf:
http://www.mercurynews.com/multimedia/mercurynews/news/googlesuit_031806.pdf

I just read one article on this case in which it was stated that sites that sites that are caught using "Black Hat" techniques are punished by being "sent to 'the sandbox' for the equivalent of a children's time out" -- journalists are so cute when they pick up a few buzz words.

I run 1 of 4 cybercafes in New Orleans, only 3 of us have websites...

My site is optimized for "Cybercafe New Orleans" and "cyber-cafe New Orleans" but yet, the first 10 pages of results are from AOL and cybercafe directories.

i guessed they tried to trick google to get a higher position and were punished...not that i care to read up

http://www.seochat.com/c/a/Search-Engine-News/Google-Sued-Over-Drop-in-SERPs/

All I can say wow wish i could... one of my sites went from 3rd in the list to GONE.. lol.

They won't win. Google has rights to do what it wants....

Oh i know, they don't have a chance. You can't base your company around where you are listed in google.. sure if your listed at the top the more you get but you can't sue over that.

I don't think they would win the case, but it does bring up a very good point. Google is famous for "banning" websites and its nearly impossible to lift this. Heck, most of the time its nearly impossible to even contact Godaddy about this.

Luckily I am Google Adwords certified, so I have a direct number to my Adwords salesperson who can easily transfer for me.. but if you don't have an in.. you have to email them.. and its amazing if they will ever respond. The whole process is rather long, and it usually goes no where.

I help run a website for a client of mine who has around 10 - 15 keywords. Each one of these rank anywhere from #8 - #1 on MSN, Yahoo etc.. etc.. You bring it over to Google.. NOTHING. Which then you have to bust out the Adwords and pay some good money.

So yea.. its frustrating a bit.. so I can see where they are comming from...

Thats a funny story. I feel bad for google but they also should have just told them why their rank dropped to save them selfs time and money.

Google is a business with the aim of making a profit - it's not a public service as many people seem to think. Wouldn't everything be a lot more rosey if each domain only got one listing!

Google dominates my single answer

I understand google is a public company, but when you get this large and powering you need to atleast give website the oppurtunity to ask "why is my website banned" and answer them.

I've talked to our Google Specialist a few times about this situation. He understands the problem, but simply said its not a priority of the company. Yea.. I can also understand its not a priority, but being sued isn't either.

Like I said, I do not think KinderStart.com will win this.. but it brings up a good point. Although a much better point is "Click Fruad" which Google is being sued over and will continue be sued over.