Around the Net

Google Sued Again, This Time For AdSense

It seems that Big G faces a continual spate of lawsuits, whether in mega-cases like its war with Viacom over pirated content on YouTube, or smaller fights like trademark infringement suits with individual businesses. The latest suit stems from the way Google tracks and reports the ads served via AdSense. According to Daniel Wexler and Web Tracking Solutions, the method the giant uses to account for ads served violates a patent Wexler was granted in 1999.

"Google has long been a foe of frivolous patents and last year backed calls for patent reform," says Thomas Claburn. And recently, the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) narrowed its definition of what qualifies as patentable software. The change could be both positive and negative for Google--as it would make some suits, like Wexler's, more difficult ti prove. However, legal scholars have argued that the giant may have a harder time enforcing its own software patents as well.

Read the whole story at InformationWeek »

Next story loading loading..