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back to article Google hit with $AUD200k defamation damages

An Australian man defamed by links on Google that associated his name with images of and articles about a criminal has been awarded $AUD200,000 damages. Melbourne man Michael Trkulja argued that searches on his name, which brought up references to criminal Tony Mokbel, constituted defamation. Trkulja asked for those …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Oh yeah baby

    Apple for the win!!

    0 7
  2. wowfood

    leech

    I mean seriously, in both situations I'd have said it has nothing to do with the webhost, he should be suing the site which the images are hosted on. If any at all, I mean seriously, grow some balls.

    And for anyone interested, AUS$200,000 is £130,920 in real money

    3 1
    1. Richard 12 Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      Re: leech

      Why grow some balls when you can get upwards of £300k by making a fuss?

      Ok, his legal bills are probably 2/3 of that, but still...

      0 0
    2. I. Aproveofitspendingonspecificprojects
      Reply Icon

      Reg munee

      How much is £130,920 in double decker buses or whatever it is they use for trade in Oz?

      1 0
      1. Dire Criti¢
        Reply Icon

        Re: Reg munee

        Close to 250,000 koalas?

        0 0
  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The slippery slope?

    I don't think it is right to have search results censored in this way. How long will it take for any negative comments to be requested to be removed from search engine listings for all those dodgy car dealers, environmental polluters, or meglomanic corporations?

    The threat of a legal suit until the search results paint a nice, one-sided rosy picture of a company is truly web censorship.

    You might also find that if someone is accused of something but later he is acquitted then the previous allegations of that person are all wiped from the search engines. Now from a just point of view this may be clearing an innocent name but from an historical record any information about an unjust trial or previous trials etc would become far harder to find.

    Search engines should be a record of what is available on the internet, not a censored view on what others wish you to see.

    7 0
  4. Graham Marsden
    Devil

    "The sites in Google's search results...

    "...are controlled by those sites' webmasters, not by Google"

    Howls of derisive laughter, Bruce!

    1 1
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