At 5:06 pm this evening we wrote that Google had apparently stolen the content and the look of a Yahoo page promoting IE7, even showing the Yahoo toolbar with the Yahoo logo blurred out. Six hours later, Google has replaced the site in question with an entirely new one. This one thankfully shows the Google Toolbar prominently installed.
I can only imagine the email strings being fired around Google HQ this evening. New site is below. Robert Scoble, who has lots of experience with PR headaches of this kind while working for Microsoft, gives some advice to Google.
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Hope it is just the email strings fired around and not some employee.
I’d say that someone is in the dog house for sure!
Even the newly redesigned page looks quite similar to Yahoo!
who really gives a shit about this ? boring story mike
I guarantee someone got the AXE!lol
How was google’s stock price affected?
Ken: Sounds like a good time to use the newly rehashed Google Finance.
It’s just been covered over at GigaOM.
BTW, correct me if I’m wrong, but the market hasn’t had any opportunity to respond to this. For starters, I don’t think this is going to hurt GOOG’s stock price one bit. But besides that, this saga was only publicised after the markets closed on 11 Dec. By the time they re-open on 12 Dec, this will be history.
Vince: hopefully, they can learn from this BIG mistake…
What a shame, Google
Here are some good links from Google and Yahoo and Microsoft, addressing this controversey
Here are some good links from Google and Yahoo and Microsoft, addressing this controversey
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Here are some good links from Google and Yahoo and Microsoft, addressing this controversey:
Why would you label Scoble’s blog as an opinion from Microsoft? Sure, he’s had experience there, but he doesn’t even come close to representing their views now.
Michael A, with SF chronicle’s report that you are finally taking a break at your parent’s house up north, I am impressed with your dedication to the blog. Of course, it’s a business, but still, it’s nice to see people care.
I’m not sure how to politely say this, but does this really matter? Google is human, a tiny mistake… someone got slapped, c’est la vie.
Paul, I kinda agree with you, if google’s stock dipps on this, it’ll be crazy and you better buy now. For us who do the startup and are not much a fan of corporate culture, it does not matter. But that is corporate america, they need to care. I’m kinda feel sorry for the poor guy who is getting trouble on this. I think that individual’s public appology is a nice gesture.
And Microsoft is doing it also with Apple , what is wrong today?
Paul: That’s exactly why this will not be covered by mainstream media, and why this will not affect GOOG’s stock price. In fact, I expect this “feud” (if you even call it that) to be amicably settled by the respective legal teams without much publicity. I’m confident that Yahoo! will let this slip in the name of cordial working relations with a close competitor. Google, on the other hand, will probably take serious internal action against whomever is responsible for this embarrassment. Perhaps a formal warning at best, along with a short copyright advisory.
We’ll see how this turns out. It’d work tremendously well in Google’s favour if they didn’t have to issue a public apology, which would attract unnecessary attention from mainstream media (and take a hit on their stock price, even if it’s just a bump).
Joe - from my experience, I don’t think we’ll see any apology, and the legal teams will certainly not be getting involved. I have no idea if MSM will pick this up or not. It was interesting only because of the ongoing rivalry between Google and Yahoo.
Faisal: I’m not speaking in the defence of anyone here, but honestly, such things are hard to filter, even for technology giants. In fact, corporate giants are most susceptible to such copyright issues, as their designing and publishing procedures become increasingly decentralised. This is just a matter of a lack of individual integrity. For all you know, it could have been an innocent error. But it’d be a mistake to associate such occurrences directly with the companies, which have themselves taken a tough stance against piracy. Let’s cut them some slack, shall we?
When the whole world is watching you closely, you cannot afford to do such mistakes (though it is silly). And when you set high standards, you are expected to keep up the level. Probably these have made this a big story.
Michael: Agreed. I do appreciate the coverage, for which you have valid reasons. It’s appropriate for non-traditional media to be covering such issues. I doubt any of us should expect developments beyond what has already occurred.
Not expected from a innovative comapny like Google.
Pff, why should we listen to Microsoft on anything related to copying or PR? See http://daringfireball.net/2006.....nager_icon
Google this Google that. Is Techcrunch owned by Google?
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2....._software/
Wake up you Zombies!
“How was google’s stock price affected?” - Ken
Thats the big question - but it definitely had to hurt.
http://www.revafinancial.squarespace.com
I agree with the idea that this doesn’t really matter. I doubt it’s affected their stock price at all - does anybody know if it has? I did IR for a long time - big things hurt stocks, usually. I’d be surprised to hear that the error had (though the blog coverage might)
don’t be evil huh?
Are we at the beginning stages of SearchMania I? Might be a fun bracket to setup. That Jeeves (oh wait he was fired) really packs a mean right uppercut!
Patricia - while Google stock is flat today, Yahoo is up 2%!
Any knee jerk reaction?
God damn, who cares? Seriously… why does this matter? It doesn’t. One story was more than enough. Let’s move on to something that’s interesting.
i think this is a great PR move. unintentional as it may be. 30+ comments about a redesign of an IE toolbar? they got confirmed techies to discuss this non-item for free. i hope they did it intentionally.
yawn.
Mmmm…Wonder if that developer will do that again?
most online stuff are just being copied and improved by others, How about IE7 copying Firefox? *tabs* *ahem*