Google and the Law, 2012
Empirical Approaches to Legal Aspects of Knowledge-Economy Business Models
Information Technology and Law Series, Vol. 22

Google?s has proved to be one of the most successful business models in today?s knowledge economy. Its services and applications have become part of our day-to-day life. However, Google has repeatedly been accused of acting outside the law in the development of services such as Adwords, Googlebooks or YouTube. One of the main purposes of this book is to assess whether those accusations are well-founded. But more important than that, this book provides a deeper reflection: are current legal systems adapted to business models such as that of Google or are they conceived for an industrial economy? Do the various lawsuits involving Google show an evolution of the existing legal framework that might favour the flourishing of other knowledge-economy businesses? Or do they simply reflect that Google has gone too far? What lessons can other knowledge-based businesses learn from all the disputes in which Google has been or is involved? This book is valuable reading for legal practitioners and academics in the field of information technologies and intellectual property law, economists interested in knowledge-economy business models and sociologists interested in internet and social networks. Dr. Aurelio Lopez-Tarruella is Senior Lecturer in Private International Law at the University of Alicante, Spain.

Introduction – Google Pushing the Boundaries of Law.- The Power of Google: First Mover Advantage or Abuse of a Dominant Position? Google Adwords: Trade Mark Law and Liability of Internet Service Providers.- Google and Personal Data Protection.- Google News and Copyright Law.- Copyright Issues Regarding Google Images and Google Cache.- The “Viacom v YouTube” Litigation and Section 512(c) DMCA: When the Safe Harbour Becomes a Permanent Mooring.- Looking Beyond the Google Books Settlement.- Google Chrome and Android: Legal Aspects of Open Source Software.- Google, APIs and the Law. Use, Reuse and Lock-in.- Paradoxes, Google and China - How Censorship Can Harm and Intellectual Property Can Harness Innovation.- The International Dimension of Google Activities – Private International Law and the Need of Legal Certainty.- In Search of Alterity: On Google, Neutrality, and Otherness.

Topical issue as Google is used by millions of people every day Analyzes whether accusations against Google are well-founded Explores if existing legal systems are adapted to Google business model or can become an obstacle for the flourishing of this kind of businesses Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras