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Google Sued for a Key Word?
"Well-known Haifa graphologist Anna Koren yesterday filed a lawsuit against international search giant Google and the Bnei Brak-based Sela Group, which operates a graphology course.
According to the suit, Koren discovered a few weeks ago that Sela-controlled company Youniverse bought ad space from the Google search engine. Koren claims that the space was purchased "exploiting Anna Koren's name as a search term. Entering the combination `Anna Koren' into the search engine, produces a 'sponsored link' to Koren rival Youniverse above the search results."
Haaretz found that Google search results for Anna Koren - in Hebrew on the engine's Israeli site - do appear with an ad for Youniverse, labeled "sponsored link."
According to Koren's attorney, after the prominent graphologist discovered this, she approached Google and Sela Group, asking them to immediately cease and desist the use of her name. In addition, she demanded compensation for damages, but this demand was rejected.
The lawsuit demands compensation and an immediate stop to the use of Anna Koren's name and reputation in connection with promoting sales of the other company.
Said Koren in a press release: "For 30 years I have fought to have graphology recognized as a professional and scientific field. My name is now associated with a place that teaches holistic fields like astrology, palm reading and Tarot card reading. I do not accept this, I do not agree to this, and I am therefore suing them."
The lawsuit states that it is legitimate for the defendants to use search terms such as "graphology institute" or "graphology," but not to exploit the reputation Koren has built over the years - through lectures and professional opinions she provides all over the world.
No defense has been filed in court. However, Sela has stated: "Although we have not yet received the lawsuit, and we are not familiar with Ms. Koren's specific claims, our preliminary response is that it is not improper to use a legal service that Google offers anyone. Had we thought for even a moment that using this service was unethical or illegal ... we would never have used it in the first place."
Source: David Ratner. Graphologist sues Google, local company for exploitation. Haaretz.com (5 September 2005) [FullText]
P.S. Please note that Anna Koren is not just scientist or academic person, as one may conclude after reading quoted article by Haaretz. Anna Koren is apparently a succesful business woman leading Anna Koren Graphology Center Ltd. We easily discovered this by performing web search with the key word Anna Koren using www.google.co.il. The page meta data at Google search results reads as follows: "The GRAPHOLOGY CENTER was founded by Anna Koren, a foremost world expert in graphology, in Haifa, Israel in 1976. Today, with over 1000 clients in Europe, US, Australia, Cyprus and Israel it is the largest graphological center in the world." Does such observation make sense of suing one commercial entity by an LTD? Otherwise why would regular academician bring a business to a court? One may also wonder what is the ethics behind Anna Koren's Center public presentation of the Handwriting Analysis of Bill Clinton and others?
According to the suit, Koren discovered a few weeks ago that Sela-controlled company Youniverse bought ad space from the Google search engine. Koren claims that the space was purchased "exploiting Anna Koren's name as a search term. Entering the combination `Anna Koren' into the search engine, produces a 'sponsored link' to Koren rival Youniverse above the search results."
Haaretz found that Google search results for Anna Koren - in Hebrew on the engine's Israeli site - do appear with an ad for Youniverse, labeled "sponsored link."
According to Koren's attorney, after the prominent graphologist discovered this, she approached Google and Sela Group, asking them to immediately cease and desist the use of her name. In addition, she demanded compensation for damages, but this demand was rejected.
The lawsuit demands compensation and an immediate stop to the use of Anna Koren's name and reputation in connection with promoting sales of the other company.
Said Koren in a press release: "For 30 years I have fought to have graphology recognized as a professional and scientific field. My name is now associated with a place that teaches holistic fields like astrology, palm reading and Tarot card reading. I do not accept this, I do not agree to this, and I am therefore suing them."
The lawsuit states that it is legitimate for the defendants to use search terms such as "graphology institute" or "graphology," but not to exploit the reputation Koren has built over the years - through lectures and professional opinions she provides all over the world.
No defense has been filed in court. However, Sela has stated: "Although we have not yet received the lawsuit, and we are not familiar with Ms. Koren's specific claims, our preliminary response is that it is not improper to use a legal service that Google offers anyone. Had we thought for even a moment that using this service was unethical or illegal ... we would never have used it in the first place."
Source: David Ratner. Graphologist sues Google, local company for exploitation. Haaretz.com (5 September 2005) [FullText]
P.S. Please note that Anna Koren is not just scientist or academic person, as one may conclude after reading quoted article by Haaretz. Anna Koren is apparently a succesful business woman leading Anna Koren Graphology Center Ltd. We easily discovered this by performing web search with the key word Anna Koren using www.google.co.il. The page meta data at Google search results reads as follows: "The GRAPHOLOGY CENTER was founded by Anna Koren, a foremost world expert in graphology, in Haifa, Israel in 1976. Today, with over 1000 clients in Europe, US, Australia, Cyprus and Israel it is the largest graphological center in the world." Does such observation make sense of suing one commercial entity by an LTD? Otherwise why would regular academician bring a business to a court? One may also wonder what is the ethics behind Anna Koren's Center public presentation of the Handwriting Analysis of Bill Clinton and others?
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