• The New York Times, Monday, October 23, 2006 11:02 AM

As Google, Inc. continues to forge new territory on the Web and stretch existing law, the company keeps getting sued. Currently, litigation over copyright violation, trademark infringement and its method of ranking Web sites loom over the Web giant, which has created new demand for lawyers specializing in Internet law. With its deep pockets and narrow focus on creating new technologies, Google is a big target for lawsuits worldwide.

Now, with its $1.65 billion acquisition of YouTube, which some critics have described as a litigation-laden landmine, Google can expect even more lawsuits. It's already inherited one: Robert Tur, who owns a video showing a trucker being beaten by rioters during the L.A. riots in 1992, is suing YouTube for copyright infringement.

But Google points to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which says that Web sites cannot be found liable for copyrighted content posted by users--as long as they promptly remove it when it's pointed out to them. In the past, the company has shown it has no problem settling out of court when it's in over its head, but its track record for fighting litigation has been successful thus far, thanks to its small army of technically proficient lawyers.

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