Google Keeps Quiet About Legal Victory

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — As Google prepares to defend itself against click fraud charges in two separate lawsuits, the search engine has quietly posted a victory in a click fraud case of its own.

In May, the Santa Clara County Superior Court granted Google a $75,000 judgment against Adsense customer Auctions Expert for “artificially or fraudulently” generating clicks on ads that appeared on the firm’s site.

Google alleged in the suit that Auctions Expert paid dozens of people to click on ads Google had served up to the Auctions Expert webpage to artificially inflate click rates. Auctions Expert was paid for each click generated from its webpage, in effect bilking advertisers out of at least $50,000.

When Google first filed suit against Auction Experts in November 2004, the company trumpeted the move as part of its ongoing anti-fraud efforts.

But Google has not publicized its May victory, perhaps because of negative news reports and persistent charges from plaintiffs in two pending lawsuits against Google that contend the company still isn’t doing enough to prevent overcharges.

In an April 2005 class-action suit filed in Arkansas and led by retailer Lane’s Gifts & Collectibles, one group of Google advertisers allege that they have been overpaying for advertising due to illegitimate hits on their links and banners and that Google was aware of the problem but continued to overcharge them.

In addition to Google, the suit names as defendants Yahoo, Ask Jeeves, Time Warner (AOL), Walt Disney, Daum Communications (Lycos), LookSmart and FindWhat.

In a separate suit filed in June, Colorado-based Click Defense, a pay-per-click monitoring company, accused Google of failing to “take any significant measures to track or prevent” fraud and failed to warn potential customers of the risk of fraud.

The case has the potential to become a class-action suit on behalf of all Google customers since 2000.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

New Membership Site 'Sluts Corner' Launches

R18 Entertainment has launched a new membership site, SlutsCorner.com.

Roxie Rae Relaunches Site Through XSiteAbility

Roxie Rae has relaunched her site through XSiteAbility.

Federal Appeals Court Vacates FTC 'Click to Cancel' Rule Pending Review

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit on Tuesday vacated the Federal Trade Commission’s “click-to-cancel” rule aimed at making it easier for consumers to cancel online subscriptions, pending further review.

NYC Adult Stores Lose Challenge to Zoning Law, May Face Relocation

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit on Tuesday upheld a lower court’s decision to allow enforcement of a 2001 zoning law aimed at forcing adult retail stores out of most parts of New York City.

FSC Drops Florida AV Lawsuit in Wake of SCOTUS Decision

A U.S. district court judge granted on Tuesday a motion by Free Speech Coalition to dismiss the trade association’s lawsuit over Florida’s age verification law, a case that had been on hold pending the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the constitutionality of state AV laws.

Ukrainian President Responds to Porn Legalization Petition

President Volodymyr Zelensky responded Tuesday to an OnlyFans model’s petition to decriminalize pornography in Ukraine, stating that he would wait for the legislative process to play out “in accordance with established procedure.”

Only Tax Deductions Joins Pineapple Support as Sponsor

Adult industry accounting firm Only Tax Deductions has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

Adult Empire Launches 'Conversations' Podcast Series

Adult Empire has launched a new official podcast series hosted by Nicole Chappelle and Charlie.

Sex Work CEO Launches 'Teams Plan' for AI Assistant

Sex Work CEO has introduced the new Teams Plan for its AI-powered, NSFW text generator, GPTease.

2025 XBIZ Amsterdam Website Launches With Call for Speakers

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the website for its annual European conference, XBIZ Amsterdam, is now live.

Show More