Google and the Law

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?

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.