French Court Orders Google to Stop Competing Ad Displays

charleste writes "NPR is reporting that a French court has ordered Google to stop displaying ads when users search for competitors (e.g. if you search for Louis Vuitton, no more ads for Dior). If this holds up, wouldn't this affect most business models for free web tools?" CNET also has details , and information about previous cases.

Comments

Has there ever been a good french court ruling?

[DoorFrame]

There's the one where France said you can't internationally auction NAZI memorobilia. And there's more about them going after other neo-Nazi websites. They went after their own ISPs in the 1990s. And then there's Toubon Law which dictates what materials MUST be written in French and what is allowed to be written in other languages.

Every country has their problems, but France's problem seems to be that they don't really understand that they're living in an international world (regardless of how much they might trumpet that belief to other countries). It's time for them to stop attempting to enforce silly standards on other countries, and start allowing their own people to communicate without interference with the outside world, in whatever manner (or language) they see fit.

PS. I know nothing about France.

Re:Has there ever been a good french court ruling?

[ifwm]

"France's problem seems to be that they don't really understand that they're living in an international world"

I think it's worse than that. France still thinks it is relevant internationally, but they are only on the stage because the US props them up.

In 100 years, France will be the equivalent of Belgium, or Sweden, nice countries with too little clout, too few resources, and too many bigtime competitors to ever be an international power.

PS I love Belgium and Sweden, please don't take my comments as criticism.

Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys

[lbmouse]

Now when you Google "Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys ", you get the French court system.

Re:Missing the point of the judgement

[drinkypoo]

First of all, google IS a web "tool". So, it has everything to do with web tools. Second of all, some people actually deliberately install search toolbars and see "what's related" which does THE SAME DAMN THING - those are DEFINITELY web tools which could be impacted by this decision. Why is it reasonable for the French courts to decide what the french people can see? Again, this is not comparative advertising, which is illegal in France (which IMO is stupid anyway; why wouldn't I want comparisons drawn between products? the ultimate comparison is up to me anyway) but the equivalent of putting products on the shelf next to other products, which is entirely legal. My theory is that this is all because Google is a primarily American company. It's not paranoia if they really are out to get you - although they're out to get us because we've been making asses of ourselves.

The French Know Best...

[meplaysocr]

Competition Bad....Monopolies Good....

Best not let your citizens think for themselves, and giving them options is more then they can handle.

Must be their simplistic European Lifestyle?

France the bold

[Gridpoet]

"Today at 2:30pm Google anounced it was officially at war with the nation of france. 2:31pm France surrenders"