Google's PageRanks Protected by Freedom of Speech in Recent U.S. Court Decision

In Search King, Inc. v. Google Technology, Inc., a U.S. District Court granted Google's motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by an Internet advertising company alleging that Google had intentionally lowered the advertising company's ranking on Google's search engine. Google's Internet search engine operates by using a mathematical algorithm to produce a "PageRank". This number represents the relative significance of a website to a search query. Search King established PR Ad Network ("PRAN") to profit from this ranking system by selling advertising space on websites that received high ranks. Search King brought an action against Google after its own ranking dropped and the PageRank for PRAN had been eliminated entirely. In the lawsuit, Search King alleged tortious interference with contractual relations. Search King claimed that the devaluation in its PageRank adversely impacted its business opportunities by limiting its exposure on Google's search engine. It argued that that the devaluation occurred because Google had learned that PRAN was competing with Google and profiting by selling advertising space on the basis of Google's PageRank system. Google sought to dismiss the complaint, arguing that its actions could not be considered wrongful because PageRanks were opinions protected by the First Amendment. The Court agreed. For more information visit, http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20030611/MEGOOG//?query=oklahoma http://research.yale.edu/lawmeme/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1147 To view Search King's Press Release on the dismissal and a link to the decision, visit: http://gooogle.searchking.com/dismiss.htm Summary by: Nicholas Wong