Why Is Google Fighting So Hard To Keep Filing In RosettaStone Lawsuit Secret?

from the open-up dept

Tue, Feb 15th 2011 8:05pm — Mike Masnick

Last year, we wrote about an effort by Public Citizen along with lawyers Eric Goldman and Martin Schwimmer, to have RosettaStone and Google remove the massive number of redactions that were made in the legal filings each has put forth in the companies' trademark dispute. As Paul Levy of Public Citizen noted at the time, this case will have important public policy impact on others, and it's only fair that the details be known. Despite being secretive upfront, it seems that RosettaStone has mostly been amenable to this and has provided unredacted filings (which have shown that the redacted info never should have been redacted in the first place). Yet, it appears that Google is still fighting this. Eric Goldman points out that Google appears to be working to avoid having to reveal what it redacted, though it's not clear why. Of course, all this really does is make you wonder what Google is hiding.

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Filed Under: sealed arguments, secrecy
Companies: google, rosetta stone

14 Comments

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Jay (profile), 15 Feb 2011 @ 8:15pm

*scratches head*
Is it possible that Google is trying to hide their algorithm?
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Feb 2011 @ 8:39pm

Re: *scratches head*
Yes, there is one secret algorithm that can solve every search problem known to man and give away the secret powers of Google to anyone. and there was good reason why they thought this needed to be in the legal filings at the time as well.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Feb 2011 @ 9:53pm

Re: Re: *scratches head*
well if there is one why would they put it in the legal filings? seems pretty stupid to me..
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Adam, 15 Feb 2011 @ 11:18pm

Secrets secrets are no fun.
This could actually have something to do with their algorithm. Imagine trying to explain to the court how it works and why your innocent. I'd assume that there would actually be quite a bit of juicy information contained inside there from Google's "Expert" witnesses.
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Schmoo, 16 Feb 2011 @ 2:19am

The last time they did the right thing instead of just brushing it under the carpet like most companies would, half the world's morons jumped on the Google-hack bandwagon. Maybe they've learned?
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DevConcepts (profile), 16 Feb 2011 @ 4:36am

Re: Re: *scratches head*
So Google has a "Rosetta Stone" of search?
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Oz, 16 Feb 2011 @ 4:36am

Re: *scratches head*
I discovered that algorithm once but spent the rest of my days ranting on the street trying to get it out of my head it's mostly worked mostly oh look an icepick...
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Anonymous Coward, 16 Feb 2011 @ 4:48am

google shouldn't have anything to worry about if they did nothing wrong.
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CommonSense (profile), 16 Feb 2011 @ 4:48am

Doing something wrong??
Wasn't it one of the Google officials who famously stated that "If you're not doing anything wrong, then you should have nothing to hide" in response to why it's OK not to have privacy online......or something along those lines??

Google trying to be secretive like this is very scary.
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Anonymous Coward, 16 Feb 2011 @ 6:17am

Re:
That's right! There's no smoke without fire! Except where something gives off smoke just before it actually catches fire, then there is smoke without fire. And cigarettes, mustn't forget cigarettes, they're not technically on fire, just very, very hot, enough to give off smoke anyway.

So sometimes there is smoke without fire but you definitely cannot cry over spilt milk. I know, I've tried!
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Google EyeBot, 16 Feb 2011 @ 6:21am

Re: Doing something wrong??
Your comment has been noted Mr. Pickering of 44 Westing Avenue, NY. Please return home and wait for your Google representative to "congratulate" you.
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Anonymous Coward, 16 Feb 2011 @ 11:18am

Re: Re:
yeah you can, it makes the milk dilute and a tad salty.
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Ronald J Riley (profile), 16 Feb 2011 @ 6:33pm

Google is just as dirty as the others.
Google is just as sleazy other other big corporations. All their talk about not having to be evil is just cover.

We see again and again companies using every means possible to cover their dirty dealings rather than cleaning up their act.

Huge success brings lots of cash. Large amounts of money bring nearly unlimited power with minimal accountability.

Unlimited power always leads to absolute corruption.

Ronald J. Riley,

President - www.PIAUSA.org - RJR at PIAUSA.org

Other Affiliations:
Executive Director - www.InventorEd.org - RJR at InvEd.org
Senior Fellow - www.PatentPolicy.org
President - Alliance for American Innovation
Caretaker of Intellectual Property Creators on behalf of deceased founder Paul Heckel
Washington, DC
Direct (202) 318-1595 - 9 am to 9 pm EST.
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Fraud, 21 Jan 2012 @ 9:55am

Google was hiding fraud
Google was hiding fraud. They had studies that show even college educated people (and Google's trademark chief) cannot tell the difference between sponsored links and content.
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