Google fighting lawsuit over lowered search rankings

By Scarlet Pruitt, IDG News Service

January 13, 2003 12:00 PM ET

IDG News Service - In a case that underscores the increasing importance Internet search rankings have on business, Google Inc. is fighting to dismiss a lawsuit claiming that it purposely devalued the search rankings of online advertising network Search King Inc.
According to documents filed Dec. 30 with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, Google is asking the court to deny a request for a preliminary injunction from McLoud, Okla.-based Search King, which sued the search giant in October claiming that it unfairly bumped the rankings of its Web sites, leading to financial losses.
In its suit, Search King alleged that Google "arbitrarily and purposefully" devalued its rankings when it discovered that the company's advertising sales branch, PR Ad Network, was placing text ads on Web sites with a high "PageRank" from Google, therefore making it one of the few competitors to Google's advertising service.
Google's PageRank system calculates search results based on how many sites link to a particular site, with more "important" linking sites adding more weight to the ranking. Because Google is one of the largest and most highly trafficked search sites on the Web, Search King alleges, the way it delivers results can significantly affect the amount of traffic received by a Web site.
Although Search King's PageRank rating was restored in November, the company said it decided to follow through with the suit as a matter of principle.
The case is about Google's attempt to squelch competition by targeting businesses and arbitrarily reducing page rankings or search status, Search King and PR Ad Network President Robert Massa said in a statement released when his company's ratings were restored.
No one from Mountain View, Calif.-based Google was immediately available for comment today.
Search King is seeking damages in excess of $75,000 as well as punitive damages and attorneys' fees.

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