Korean website sues Google after getting suspended for click fraud

[James4000]

A Korean website has sued Google after it was banned for click fraud:

Google, the U.S. web search giant, faces a W30 million (US$1=W945) lawsuit in Korea. Humor University, a local humor website, announced on Sunday that it filed a suit against Google demanding W20 million in payments and W10 million in damages. Humor University said the American firm allegedly failed to pay for three months of online ads.

Humor University said that it signed an agreement to host Google's Adsense ads and ran them for three months in late 2005, but Google refused to pay, citing click fraud. Humor University said Google never provided evidence to back up those claims.

(english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200703/200703190022.html)

Have any other sites taken similar legal measures in the past? I'm guessing their lawsuit will get them nowhere, but we'll see.

[ryukenden]

It is interesting. Google faces legal action from Belgium Newspaper as well. Belgium copyright group is just making money. They got traffic from google and then sue google again. Fair!

[wissam]

Well, if the money that much I was to do the same my self lol, but hey dude sure they did something Google always have evidence but showing them will expose their technology ...

[Erind]

for 32000usd? HELL YES!

I would find one of those lawyers who don't get paid unless the case is won, but then they take like 20%. oh well. still left with 25000.

[Burta]

Many people actually sue Google just for the attention and exposure it gives their site as a result of suing Google. Many of these small companies anyway I get impression do it for that reason. I mean a company like viacom obviously aren't suing Google for the publicity because they are suing for an actual significant amount and you know they have the resources to back it up, but I mean how far can a small website company with a couple of thousand dollars afford to take a law suit against Google - if Google wanted they could just crush them financially.

[leandar]

Originally Posted by James4000

A Korean website has sued Google after it was banned for click fraud:

Google, the U.S. web search giant, faces a W30 million (US$1=W945) lawsuit in Korea. Humor University, a local humor website, announced on Sunday that it filed a suit against Google demanding W20 million in payments and W10 million in damages. Humor University said the American firm allegedly failed to pay for three months of online ads.

Humor University said that it signed an agreement to host Google's Adsense ads and ran them for three months in late 2005, but Google refused to pay, citing click fraud. Humor University said Google never provided evidence to back up those claims.

(english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200703/200703190022.html)

Have any other sites taken similar legal measures in the past? I'm guessing their lawsuit will get them nowhere, but we'll see.

i have read this matter before 2 week ago , this thread started from new members only , let me know more ... ? why its by new member ?

[jackburton2006]

The article is silly. It talks about this "Humor College" website suing Google and then goes on to mention that Viacom is also suing Google, as if to relate the two. One is about copyright via YouTube, now a Google company, and the other has to do with Adsense. One has nothing to do with the other. Plus, the article also says they "signed an agreement", which probably amounted to the website signing up for the program and getting accepted.

Anyways, this isn't going anywhere. Google isn't going to buckle to some "humor" website. And if anything, if the Korean Government gets into the mix, Google is just going to ban all Korean websites. You really think Google is going to lose sleep over this? They have millions upon millions of websites. One country isn't going to make or break them. This Government intervention by the Koreans, demanding Google change their TOS just for them, is just going to get a whole lot of Korean webmasters kicked out of the Adsense program.

[mad4]

They wouldn't ban somebody earning $$$$'s without good reason.

[jackburton2006]

And one has to remember that Google isn't going to start a precedent. They acquiesce to the Koreans, and the next thing everyone will be demanding they change their TOS for them, too. Nothing good ever comes from a Government getting involved in business, I always say.

[tradeepak]

Google's Policy is "Don't be evil" and I believe they live upto that!

[checksum]

Good for them.

They deserve to get every penny if they've done nothing wrong.

[Pat Gael]

Originally Posted by James4000

Have any other sites taken similar legal measures in the past? I'm guessing their lawsuit will get them nowhere, but we'll see.

Google and money have become synonyms so no matter if there is fraud or not involved, there will be always people trying to benefit suing Google arguing whatever thing.

[djrishi]

Time has come for Google to provide evidence of click fraud.