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Google Admits to Using Sohu Database

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the cut-and-paste dept.

prostoalex writes "A few days ago a Chinese company, Sohu.com, alleged Google improperly tapped its database for its Pinyin IME product, stirring controversy on whether two databases were similar just due to normal research process. Today Google admitted that its new product for Chinese market 'was built leveraging some non-Google database resources.' 'The dictionaries used with both software from Google and Sohu shared several common mistakes, where Chinese characters were matched with the wrong Pinyin equivalents. In addition, both dictionaries listed the names of engineers who had developed Sohu's Sogou Pinyin IME.'"

23 of 209 comments (clear)

  1. Dictionary mistakes. by Tackhead · · Score: 5, Funny
    > Today Google admitted that its new product for Chinese market 'was built leveraging some non-Google database resources.' The dictionaries used with both software from Google and Sohu shared several common mistakes, where Chinese characters were matched with the wrong Pinyin equivalents.

    ...including the ones for "plagiarize", "research", and apparently a new one for the 2000s under "leverage".

    Leverage! Leverage!
    Let no one else's work cut short your edge,
    Against the truth you can surely hedge,
    So don't cut short your edge,
    But leverage, leverage, leverage!

    (One man deserves the credit! One man deserves the blame!
    And Sergei Brin Ivanovich Lobachevsky is his name!)

  2. Google's initial explanation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    "In the future, Google invents a time machine that's used by a rogue employee to travel back in time to give Sohu this database. It's clear then that Sohu stole our database."

    1. Re:Google's initial explanation by BungaDunga · · Score: 2, Funny

      In fact, if we hadn't used their database, our employee won't be able to go back in time to give it to Sohu, and we wouldn't have been able to steal their database. QED.

  3. Turnitin.com Subscription Coming by slashbob22 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I guess Google Labs will have to subscribe to Turnitin.com now.

    --
    Proof by very large bribes. QED.
  4. Cmon Google... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    surely after helping so many students copy their research papers you should know the number 1 rule of copying another persons work: Change the F*CKING NAME!

  5. Time for a slogan change? by GFree · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Do no evil"

    should be changed to

    "Do just a tiny bit of evil"

    which at this rate will probably end up as

    "All your web are belong to us"

    1. Re:Time for a slogan change? by Ngarrang · · Score: 2, Funny

      Do no evil, or don't get caught.
      We redefine evil.
      Emulate or Innovate, which ever is more convenient.

      --
      Bearded Dragon
    2. Re:Time for a slogan change? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      It's not gotten to that point yet. If you want to figure out which is Google and which is MS, if you're ducking chairs or you hear the distant chant of "developers, developers, developers", it's MS.

  6. Re:Is this... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    well considering it's from godless communist china they must be sticking it to evil!
    hooray!

  7. Car stereo by DogDude · · Score: 3, Funny

    So then, did the guy who stole my car stereo, was he "leveraging some non-car thief assets"?

    --
    I don't respond to AC's.
  8. Ironic by smackt4rd · · Score: 5, Funny

    So now american companies are pirating chinese software? Oh the irony! :)

  9. Re:Is this... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Sorry, I believe that memo was supposed to go down the memory hole. We are at war with East-Asia...

  10. Their new spokesperson ... by myster0n · · Score: 2, Funny

    ... Theo De Raadt says that the Chinese are INHUMAN.

    *ducks*

    --
    Nobody believes the official spokesman, but everybody trusts an unidentified source. -- Ron Nesen
    1. Re:Their new spokesperson ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      In Soviet Russia the inhumans say that Theo De Raadt is Chinese.

  11. Shame! by BluBall · · Score: 3, Funny

    Following the protocols established by the recent OpenBSD/Linux Broadcom driver fiasco, the proper response would be to denounce Sohu for having been ripped off by Google.

    Shame on you Sohu! This is inhuman!

  12. Oblig futurama quote by pedantic+bore · · Score: 5, Funny

    "The internet is about the free exchange of other people's ideas!"

    --
    Am I part of the core demographic for Swedish Fish?
  13. Finally we steal some IP from them! by gatkinso · · Score: 2, Funny

    TURN ABOUT IS FAIR PLAY.

    Ok fine, we have stolen from them before... but Beef and Broccoli don't count.

    --
    I am very small, utmostly microscopic.
  14. Re:Please tell me by hackingbear · · Score: 2, Funny

    The advanced feature will be:


    When you are typing your term paper using this IME, the IME will automatically google the Web and find out other papers on the same topic and you can just stop thinking and typing but instead copy from those paper on a click of a button.

  15. Here's your wallet back mate by Paranoia+Agent · · Score: 2, Funny

    Sorry, I was just leveraging some non-personal resources.

  16. Re:Is this... by jstomel · · Score: 3, Funny

    Chinks are chinese, gooks are vietnamese. People need to learn to keep their racial slurs straight or soon we won't be able to tell who anybody hates, and that would be terrible!

  17. Begs teh question. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Sohu cares?

  18. Re:On what do you base your judgment? by heinousjay · · Score: 2, Funny

    So the slogan is data entry wants to be free?

    --
    Slashdot - where whining about luck is the new way to make the world you want.
  19. Google's response by Loconut1389 · · Score: 2, Funny

    The person responsible for the copying has been sacked. ...
    The person responsible for the sacking has been sacked...