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'Bankrupt' Australian Surgeon Sues Google For Auto-Complete

Posted by Soulskill on from the why-is-google-so dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Australian surgeon Guy Hingston is suing Google in the U.S. for 'auto-complete' defamation. Typing in his name brings up 'Guy Hingston bankrupt' in the auto-complete. The association seems to have come about because Hingston purchased an aviation group CoastJet which went bankrupt two-and-a-half years later. Hingston himself was also bankrupted. Hingston claims this association has cost him customers and is suing Google for $75k, plus court costs. Google has often found itself the target of litigation over auto-complete searches. Are auto-complete results even useful? Should Google be policing the auto-complete suggestions?"

9 of 305 comments (clear)

  1. Slander and libel by girlintraining · · Score: 5, Funny

    I don't see how it's either, since auto-complete is based on what people are entering as search terms. It's the result of an algorithm, not a human. Algorithms have no sense of morality, they just do what they're told. You might as well say a car slandered you for backfiring as it drove by. Also... he doesn't own an exclusive right to the name 'Guy Hingston'.

    In short, Mr. Hingston -- screw you. Also... Guy Hingston Bankrupt Guy Hingston Bankrupt Guy Hingston Bankrupt. I hope you do for having such a piss-poor understanding of the internet.

    --
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  2. Re:Libel? by MightyMartian · · Score: 4, Funny

    He shouldn't complain. It's better than "Hingston mutant genetic sandwich"

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  3. Let's help the poor guy! by sjames · · Score: 5, Funny

    OK, everybody, it's time to help him out here. Google for "Guy Hingston pumpkin fucker" until the association between Guy Hingston and bankrupt goes away!

    1. Re:Let's help the poor guy! by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 3, Funny

      Wow, your post shows up as the first search result. Congrats!

  4. Re:Better idea by quenda · · Score: 4, Funny

    Even better idea: get his name associated with porn, then google automatically disables auto-complete. (Try typing in the name of a porn star and you'll see.)

    Seriously, he just needs to start a good free porn site with his name, put out some press releases, buy a few ads in the mainstream media, then everybody will google "Guy Hingston porn" and his problem will go away.

  5. Re:SEO gone wild by grcumb · · Score: 5, Funny

    As a surgeon, does he really think it's a good idea to replace the "Guy Hingston bankrupt" autocomplete with "Guy Hingston lawsuit"?

    Well, bear in mind that this is a guy who's basically called up the national media and proclaimed, 'I Google myself!'

    --
    Crumb's Corollary: Never bring a knife to a bun fight.
  6. Re:Well... by Zemran · · Score: 3, Funny

    He obviously has too much money left and he wants to waste it on lawyers so that he can go bankrupt again...

    --
    I love stacking my barbecues in the shed at the end of summer - you can't beat a bit of grill on grill action.
  7. Re:Quoting by MyLongNickName · · Score: 4, Funny

    Apparently you missed his username.

    --
    See my journal for slashdot ID's by year. Mine created in 2005. http://slashdot.org/journal/289875/slashdot-ids-by-year
  8. Re:Well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Really? What if that butterfly dead on my windshield was going to stop a hurricane?

    Damn. That effin' Google really is evil.