Google Sky Is Worth $25 Million?

from the everybody-sue-google dept

Tue, Feb 19th 2008 10:22pm — Mike Masnick

Google certainly has become quite a target for lawsuits lately. The latest one involves a former Google contractor who claims that the idea for "Google Sky" (a sky layer for Google Earth) was his idea -- so he's now suing the company for $25 million. First of all, who knows how many people at Google (and outside of Google) probably had the same idea. For this guy to claim that he can be the only person to have come up with that idea seems a bit rich -- especially considering that Microsoft has apparently been working on something similar for quite some time. Second, $25 million? For a novelty overlay on a product that doesn't make Google any money?

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: google earth, google sky
Companies: google

18 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

J, 19 Feb 2008 @ 11:51pm

Hey Mike, if Google Earth didn't make Google any money, they probably wouldn't have created it. Simple business practice. Google Earth draws more interest in Google, people see what else the company offers, and then Google makes money off of advertisements.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Trevlac, 20 Feb 2008 @ 11:26am
  
  Re:
  You cannot sue for indirect losses though.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
David, 20 Feb 2008 @ 12:10am

I thought it was fairly obvious Mike was referring to the fact that Google Earth is free, and therefore, is not making any money by itself.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- fuse5k, 20 Feb 2008 @ 12:55am
  
  Re: by david
  But there are ad's on the page, so google will make money from it... the service is free, but ad supported.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - some other guy, 20 Feb 2008 @ 6:55am
    
    Re: Re: by david
    I looked at my copy of Google Earth - no ads - I also looked at Google Maps, just in case you meant that - didn't see any there either.
    
    What was it you meant?
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Rob, 20 Feb 2008 @ 12:59am

Google didn't create Google Earth, they bought the company Keyhole, and as such their entire satellite imagery software library, then renamed the product and continued development.

The basic version is indeed free, but "pro" versions are available for a price.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- circuitz, 20 Feb 2008 @ 1:19am
  
  Re:
  I claim google space. poor poor contractor. always getting screwed.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Daniel, 20 Feb 2008 @ 3:49am

I think the Ads on Google Space are still a little far fetched, I've been trying to find a chinese takeaway somewhere near Secunda Giedi (or one that delivers) for ages.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Dan B, 20 Feb 2008 @ 5:26am

Google Earth is not Google Sky. Google Earth has a Pro version people pay money to use, Google sky has not "pro" version, and litterally does make no money.

Anybody who says Google wouldn't have made it, if it makes no money does not understand Google. There number one concern is "How does it benefit the consumer"? Not profits. There awesome business sense, and killer algarythems is what makes their profits.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
FUG Buster, 20 Feb 2008 @ 6:03am

I love reading Techdirt.. the level of total ignorance about business is astounding. But explains why people a swooning for a candidate who speaks like a preacher and lies like a used care salesman. (How does a president make sure nurses have good salaries, unless he is going to use the military to seize all the hospitals.. just one of his lies)

Google does nothing that does not have a goal of making them money.

Just becuase and idea seems obvious to a lame techdirt blogger after it is seen, does not mean it was obvious before, it it were we would have invented everything already. but you know what they say.. if you aren't qualified to do productive work, complain about others work as a techdirt blogger
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Paul, 20 Feb 2008 @ 8:04am
  
  Re:
  Actually, this idea is obvious because as someone has pointed out, sky-maps already exist. All this is is an idea to incorporate that into Google maps. Its not a leap of the imagination to come to think, "hmmm, we got a map of the earth, the moon, and mars. any other maps we can add?" "Hey, there are sky maps." "Ok, lets add them."
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 20 Feb 2008 @ 8:06am
  
  Re:
  it doesn't require military to put a minimum wage in place for nurses. but of course, you're not ignorant, so you'd know that. right?
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
DA_ALC, 20 Feb 2008 @ 6:38am

Ill seccond that! Techdirt reporters are tard and tard gain!
Sky-map software gas been available for ages, and nearly every atlas these days has a sky-map to.
The case will be thrown out of court.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Paul, 20 Feb 2008 @ 8:02am
  
  Re:
  umm... I think TechDirt is on the side of thinking the suit has no merits. So... you're agreeing with it... yet still calling them stupid. Nice.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
You never know, 20 Feb 2008 @ 7:08am

It's all a way to steal (OOPS! I didn't say that!)make money....
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Liam, 20 Feb 2008 @ 8:09am

if the guy had come up with the idea of a sky map originally, as in, they didn't exist anywhere before he thought of it, he would have a case.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Google sky, 20 Feb 2008 @ 1:47pm

Google Earth and sky makes money for google by people buying the premium versions allowing them to remove copyright notices etc.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Gaetano Marano, 21 Feb 2008 @ 7:27am

Google Lunar X Prize
.
.

if the Google Sky value is $25M, then, Google should pay me (at least) $100 million for THIS... :)

http://www.ghostnasa.com/posts/008moonprize.html

.
.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]