back to article Google quietly takes gag off Mississippi AG after wrecking ads probe

Google has, without fanfare, dropped its legal action that muzzled an investigation into the ad giant's conduct by the State of Mississippi. The state's elected attorney general, Democrat Jim Hood, has taken on Wall Street, the tobacco industry and the KKK, but even he must have been surprised by Google's 44-page restraining …

  1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

    This says it all

    "In my 10 years as attorney general, I have dealt with a lot of large corporate wrongdoers. I must say that yours is the first I have encountered to have no corporate conscience for the safety of its customers, the viability of its fellow corporations, or the negative economic impact on the nation which has allowed your company to flourish," Hood said in 2014.

    He is of course referring to Google.

    Naturally, the Google Fanbois will be out to defend them but to issue a restraining order on an State Law Officer is to my mind, beyond the pale.

    1. Daggerchild Silver badge

      Re: This says it all

      It is extremely unusual. Unless there's waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more to this than you're being told.

  2. HarryBl

    Too right! Can't have the people buying their drugs cheaper across the border can we?

    1. Sebastian A

      Politics of that situation aside, you have to respect the laws of the land. Don't like 'em, campaign to get 'em changed, don't just break 'em and complain when you get caught and punished.

      1. Mark 85

        Err... right. Our corporates are very good at getting the law of the land change to protect their interests.

    2. John Lilburne

      "Can't have the people buying their drugs cheaper across the border can we?"

      Least you think it was something to do with paracetamol and cough syrup, the drugs at issue were things like Steroids, Human growth hormone, and drugs to induce abortions. All without prescriptions or any medical supervision.

  3. Lamb0
    Devil

    You missed...

    the back story. All is NOT what it seems where money and politics are involved! Fishing expeditions are a great political tradition; especially when backed by lobbyists for big money and free advertising chasing bigger bank accounts. There are no "Good Guys" in this game - only winners and losers.

    Mississippi AG backs off Google investigation pushed by MPAA http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/12/mississippi-ag-backs-off-google-investigation-pushed-by-mpaa/

    Google’s Detractors Take Their Fight to the States http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/17/technology/googles-critics-enlist-state-attorneys-general-in-their-fight.html

    They are TOUGH on "violent" crime in Mississippi:

    Copyright terror: Man sentenced to 15 years in jail for selling 6 counterfeit discs https://www.rt.com/usa/king-couinterfeit-selling-ip-630/

    Seller of bootleg DVDs gets 2 years in prison http://themississippilink.com/2012/11/21/seller-of-bootleg-dvds-gets-2-years-in-prison/

    1. a_yank_lurker

      Re: You missed...

      There is a saying over here about Mississippi being the most backward and benighted part of the country. A state that is at the bottom of every statistical metric "Thank God for Mississippi".

      1. John Lilburne

        Re: You missed...

        Thw phrase is "Mississippi goddam" just ask Nina Simone

        http://www.metrolyrics.com/mississippi-goddam-lyrics-nina-simone.html

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBiAtwQZnHs

    2. Andrew Orlowski (Written by Reg staff)

      Re: You missed...

      "Copyright terror"

      The MPAA angle was a conspiracy theory that Google generated so you took your eyes off the ball. Some people are easily distracted. Copyfighter view everything as a conspiracy, and the most easily distracted of all.

      The fact is that 75 pages of the 79 page subpoena are about not about Google's copyright behaviour, and 4 pages are. Maybe Hood should be doing more to protect musicians, given Mississippi's rich musical history? But that's not what you're saying.

      We do provide the link to the subpoena in every story, so intelligent readers can make their own minds up.

      Watch the pea not the cup.

      1. Daggerchild Silver badge

        Re: You missed...

        "The MPAA angle was a conspiracy theory that Google generated so you took your eyes off the ball"

        Oh come on! The NY Times caught the MPAA manufacturing and shipping weapons to Hood who then filed off the serial numbers to hide their origin.

        http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/12/16/technology/attorney-general-letter-to-google.html

  4. frank ly

    Money talks

    It also silences people.

  5. Version 1.0 Silver badge

    Whack a mole

    The Canadian pharmacies seem to have been replaced by Indian and Chinese pharmacies, many of these with websites in the EU.

  6. Eldnah
    Thumb Up

    Apt description ...

    "... the improvised American state."

    So, is the Trump campaign HQed in Mississippi?? It seems to be in the most improvised state ...

    1. Anonymous Vulture
      Go

      Re: Apt description ...

      Beat me to it.

      "Mississippi House members attempted to crush his ability to investigate major corporations, restricting the filing of any lawsuit from which the improvised American state could receive more than $250,000 in damages."

      While those in the remaining 49 States are occasionally grateful for Mississippi occupying the bottom rung in unimportant categories like education or median household income, it is in fact a full State. An impoverished one to be sure, but not improvised. Perhaps one of the thirty admitted to the Union after it might qualify as improvised.

      Mississippi does have a problem with keeping up with the rest of the Union. For example it did not remove its ban on interracial marriage until 1987, twenty years after the Supreme Court ruled similar laws unconstitutional. The state did not manage to ratify the Amendment to ban slavery until 2013, one hundred and forty eight years late.

      I am not saying the educational issues are related to the rest of the problems, but I am not saying they are not either.

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