Slashdot Mirror
Google Faces Plagiarism Questions Over Chinese Software
yaohua2000 writes "Google's laboratory in China has launched its first product, a Pinyin Input Method Editor. The software allows the romanized characters to be translated to more traditional Chinese symbols , via entering on a QWERTY keyboard. Users soon discovered that the data Google used for the product was unusually similar to the data used by a Chinese rival, Sogou. Google has evaded the question about software similarities, reports PC World. 'The similarities, which included an error involving the name of a celebrity, were noted on a Google Labs discussion board about its Pinyin IME. Users noted that entering the Pinyin pinggong into the Google IME incorrectly produced the name of Feng Gong, an actor and comedian.'"
Did I read this right, to understand that the Chinese are complaining about someone stealing IP ?
We are all just people.
Did Google say they did not hired another company to program the software, or is the media insinuating it?
Did Google say who they're Chinese rivals vs. allies are, or did the media tell us?
One possible situation: What if Google hired another company to create the software? What if that 3rd party company stole IP? What if Google is looking into the issue right now and therefore won't comment to the public media? (pure speculation, but proves other avenues might exist for possibilities to open up).
You see, Google has not answered many questions yet and this does not an admission of guilt.