Posted on 10/11/2007 9:22:05 AM PDT by tcrlaf
WASHINGTON- Internet giant Google has banned advertisements critical of MoveOn.org, the far-left advocacy group that caused a national uproar last month when it received preferential treatment from The New York Times for its “General Betray Us” message.
The ads banned by Google were placed by a firm working for Republican Sen. Susan Collins’ re-election campaign. Collins is seeking her third term. Earlier this week, Google told Lance Dutson, president of Maine Coast Designs, that the ads he placed for Collins had been removed and would not be allowed to resume because they violated Google’s trademark policy.
Google’s Web site states, “Google takes allegations of trademark infringement very seriously and, as a courtesy, we’re happy to investigate matters raised by trademark owners.” That suggests Google acted in response to a complaint by MoveOn.org.
The banned advertisements said, “Susan Collins is MoveOn’s primary target. Learn how you can help” and “Help Susan Collins stand up to the MoveOn.org money machine.” The ads linked to Collins’ campaign Web site with a headline reading “MoveOn.org has made Susan Collins their #1 target.”
The Collins Web site claims that MoveOn has contributed $250,000 to her likely Democratic opponent and has run nine ads against her costing nearly $1 million. The Web site also displays MoveOn.org’s controversial “General Betray Us” ad.
(Excerpt) Read more at examiner.com ...
The closer we get to November 2008, the more blatant and bold the the left is going to get.
You don' need no stinkin' free speech anyway...
“The closer we get to November 2008, the more blatant and bold the the left is going to get. “
Agreed. The libs know it’s not easy to get someone elected with such high negatives. But they will get the pig elected. Not necessarily legally, but elected all the same.
I loathe the little Stalinists at Google as much as anyone, but if there’s a legal issue with the ad, there’s a legal issue with the ad.
Besides, it’s hard to get all bent out of shape about Susan Collins getting screwed over by her fellow travelers on the left.
That was my thought also.
And I fully expect all kinds of election fraud in 2008 by the dims.
I’m shocked! ...that google wants Collins to lose. She’s as good as having a Dim in the house, and they may get better bang for the buck supporting a dim in another race.
Thanks for the tip. I just changed my default search engine to dogpile
She will never be POTUS.
It’s just an indication of what crazed loons inhabit moveon. If even the “moderate” Sen Collins is too conservative for them then they are the truest examples of extremism in America, not any conservative group. Collins is even against banning partial birth abortion. I guess the only way to satisfy the far left is to make late term abortion mandatory. I wouldn’t put it past them to propose it either.
“I loathe the little Stalinists at Google as much as anyone, but if there’s a legal issue with the ad, there’s a legal issue with the ad.”
When the ‘legal issue’ is that a political entity is invoking a trademark on its name so it can’t be criticized, that is a First Amendment violation of the highest order.
Where’s the ACLU when you need them? /sarc
We could use an equivalent organization that’d be a civil rights watchdog regardless of the political bent of the issue.
Then we’ll have a Republican President, because Hitlery will be the Dim nominee.
I’m done with Google, I just changed my start page to Dogpile.
OK I’M with you. Now, what is a start page and how do I change it without messing myself up?
I thought the use of the "Betray-Us" ad featuring their logo was the trademark violation. If it's just the use of the name at issue, then of course it's insane.
Personally I don’t think we need to use MoveOutAndSurrender.Org’s real name to post an ad. All Susan Collins needs to do is run parodies of the name the same way MoveOutAndSurrender.Org did with General Petraeus. Everyone knows that Google is a communist organization and using a parody of MoveOutAndSurrender.Org’s copy righted name is more than enough to enlighten the voters. We all know who they are and that those they support are just like them.
“She will never be POTUS.”
I strongly disagree. I’d vote for almost anyone over the beast, but I think there’s a lot going on in her favor.
The Clinton machine of contacts, and deals, (legal and otherwise).
The MSM will be totally complicit, as it has been. Hillary! will never be cast in a bad light. In fact, there will be lots of pressure to vote for her or you will be seen as a sexist.
I’m not a big conspiracy guy, but I do remember GWB’s “Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton” and did read about GWB advising the beast.
The GOP doesn’t have a strong candidate with general appeal. At least not yet.
Libs are stupid. I’ve heard lots of them say they’re voting for Hillary! and getting Bill.
I’m going to shift my investments to stable / guaranteed interest type funds in August ‘08, that’s how sure I am she’s going to be elected.
I think MoveOn’s argument is you can’t identify MoveOn.org as MoveOn.org w/o violating MoveOn’s trademark. So, if you don’t want people talking about WhistlingPastTheGraveyard just trademark your name and then people can’t even reply to your post w/o violating WhistlingPastTheGraveyard’s trademark.
Seems kind of specious to me. How many libs make money on Rush Limbaugh’s name?
Here someone is being targeted by MoveOn.org Stalinists and they can’t say so w/o violating Stalinist MoveOn.org’s trademark? How can that be?
“I’m going to shift my investments to stable / guaranteed interest type funds in August ‘08, that’s how sure I am she’s going to be elected.”
In what currency, the U.S. dollar? That would not be intellectually consistent.
“In what currency, the U.S. dollar? That would not be intellectually consistent.”
I’m not a big time trader, but it’s my understanding that when the market tanks, bond funds do well?
Thanks for the information.
We all know that Google is unfair and unbalanced.
I wonder how they will feel if Dictator Hillary gets elected and takes over Google for the state? They should really think about this. Big bad corporate boys that they think they are? LOL
They like others who support this untalented woman should really look at why they are supporting her. Her reasons for their support may be completely different from theirs.
I clearly believe the Clintons are vindictive. They are about revenge. It drives the hatred they feel for themselves and others. I hope these guys will really sit down and think about this because they may have real causes. I have yet to see the Clintons do one thing that doesn’t have a ring of profit or congrats for them personally.
If she is elected, we will be watching dreams go up in smoke, that is, the gurus of health, global warming, save the whales, etc. Heck, all of the groups have already become nothing but mere laundering money agents to politics.
I mean, when have you heard “Save the Whales” lately?
If I were them, I would sure think long and hard before I put my support with someone so shallow.
They should also know that their wealth will not protect them. Wealth can be taken away in a number of ways. Just let Hillary win and find out.
Some “legal issues” are more equal than others...
many of the searches dogpile returns come from google...
dogpile appears to use google
How’s altavista?
I think you’re believing to much into agendized polls and the hype...
I’ve heard a number of die hard libs...including family members remark they’ll not vote for Hillary...and sit out the election if she’s the nominee...
Again, she won’t be POTUS...
Exactly...
“Again, she won’t be POTUS...”
I hope you’re right.
Me too. I completely see your point. However, I am being an optimist.
If she’s the nominee she’ll unite the fractured Republican Party, and she’ll alienate many in the Democratic Party.
She might take the states of NY, Vermont, and CA in the general election, but she loses every other state...and the DNC knows it...
Again, she won’t be POTUS...
********
Legally you mean. But this is Hillary!!!
Just seeing Google pisses me off because I was STUPID and did not buy their stock....Ugh! Now it is over 600 dollars a share!!!
Same here. Moveon.org is hardly innocent of saying indecent, preposterous and untrue things about the people who don't share their beliefs. They are giving money to Collins' opponent on top if it so the opponent can lie.
Moveon.org is demanding the right to enter into the political arena and at the same time be exempt from criticism.
That Google.com is siding with them shouldn't be surprising. We'll need to put them on the list of companies to be run out of business once we get back in power ~ and just maybe we can imprison some of them faster than they can die like they did at Enron.
You’re right, I had misunderstood the excuse Google was giving. I thought the complaint was over the specific use of the “Betray-Us” ad. I was wrong. It’s just the Google dorks being the fascist eggheads that they are.
Hate to break it to you, but a Dogpile Search is the same thing as a Google Search.
Dogpile uses Google as one of its search engines.
Political Free Speech was the reason for the First Amendments Guarantee..
Her ads are political and therefore should enjoy the Highest Protections.
Allowing Trademark Law to override Political Free Speech is a deliberate misreading of the first Amendment Protections.
W
“...the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the notion that there is anything like a cause of action under the Lanham Act, the statue governing trademark law in the United States, for so-called ‘trademark disparagement.”
I have absolutely no problem with Google rejecting the ad as they legally can. The problem is that they don’t have a pair big enough to say why. To hide behind a fictitious legal claim is weak. I believe they are afraid to tell the world what they really believe.
I’ve had luck recently with A9, which is Amazon’s search engine. Nice interface, not too much junk.
Living in the People's Republic of Maine and having to put up with the embarrassment known as Susan Collins and despising the commies who run Google is not good for the blood pressure.
Even the 9th Circus says it’s not a trademark infringement.
The article also points out the hypocrisy of MoveOn.org, as they name drop corporations all the time. Someone needs to fight fire with fire.
AlGore is a Google board member.
Here are some good search alternatives to Google. These will all go in FireFox search bar. Probably IE too, but I don’t use IE.
http://www.altavista.com/ they have image, video, MP3 Audio and news searches too.
http://www.dogpile.com/info.dogpl/search/index.htm
http://www.live.com/?searchonly=true&mkt=en-CA
If Google does not like our politics and values lets go elsewhere.
“I thought the use of the “Betray-Us” ad featuring their logo was the trademark violation. If it’s just the use of the name at issue, then of course it’s insane.”
Even if the ad were used, it is ‘fair use’. Political discourse can’t be supressed over brand identity.
Trademarks were established so businesses could protect themselves from similar sounding (or identical) copycats. That is a far cry from the issue here.
Dogpile has been mine for years...google = leftist traitors
I thought they had a reasonable out, given the cost of fighting in court against a political ally. Legal issues come up when someone threatens litigation — frivolous or otherwise — which they seem to be implying.
But... I was wrong. A lot of people don’t find it reasonable and the story’s getting traction. I hate Google anyway, so I’m fine with that.
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