Wired News: Lawsuit: Google Stole Orkut Code

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Lawsuit: Google Stole Orkut Code

Lawsuit: Google Stole Orkut Code 06/30/2004 12:56 PM
Wired News Jun 30 2004 5:38PM GMT

Affinity Engines Says Google Stole Orkut
Code

Affinity Engines Says Google Stole Orkut
Code 06/30/2004 02:51 PM

Company Claims Orkut Stole Orkut Code

Company Claims Orkut Stole Orkut Code 06/30/2004 07:19 PM
It's not like it's particularly difficult to write a social networking systems. These days, at the rate new ones are coming out, it practically seems like a typical first year CS student's project. Still, a company named Affinity Engines that builds social networking products for universities (that just so happens to have been founded by Orkut Buyukkokten - the creator of orkut.com) is now suing Google for stealing their code. From the article, it sounds like they have a pretty solid claim. First, it's obvious that Orkut had access to the code. He even continued to work on it while he was at Google. According to the lawsuit he promised repeatedly that he wasn't going to work on a similar app for Google, but then did so anyway. The real damaging point, however, is that Affinity Engines claims they've found nine identical bugs in Orkut that are also in their own system -- which certainly makes it quite likely the basic code is the same.

Did Google Steal Orkut Code?

Did Google Steal Orkut Code? 06/30/2004 07:13 PM
Search Engine Lowdown Jun 30 2004 11:01PM GMT

Company says Google copied code for
Orkut

Company says Google copied code for
Orkut 07/02/2004 06:26 AM
SiliconValley.com Jul 2 2004 10:10AM GMT

Google Says Sued Over Orkut Code
(Reuters)

Google Says Sued Over Orkut Code
(Reuters) 06/30/2004 10:29 PM
Reuters - Google Inc. said late on Wednesday that it has been sued by Affinity Engines, which alleges that Google's Orkut social networking site is built with code stolen from its company.

Google sued over alleged Orkut code
theft

Google sued over alleged Orkut code
theft 07/01/2004 12:31 AM
Social networking software company Affinity Engines is suing Google, accusing them of stealing code which is used in their orkut.com social-networking venture. Google denies the allegations, but will the suit harm them as they prepare for their IPO?

Affinity Engines Files Suit Against
Google Over Orkut Code

Affinity Engines Files Suit Against
Google Over Orkut Code 06/30/2004 02:31 PM
"A small social networking software company filed a lawsuit against Google, claiming that much of the source code behind Orkut.com...was stolen by a former engineer. "

/articleshow/760677.cms">Google
accused of stealing Orkut code

/articleshow/760677.cms">Google
accused of stealing Orkut code 07/02/2004 04:53 AM
Economictimes.indiatimes.com - Fri Jul 2, 06:52 am GMT

Lawsuit accuses Google of code theft

Lawsuit accuses Google of code theft 06/30/2004 09:08 PM
Start-up claims an engineer stole software code to create the popular online social networking service Orkut.com.

Wired News: Drivers Want Code to Their
Cars

Wired News: Drivers Want Code to Their
Cars 06/01/2004 02:27 AM
Drivers Want Code to Their Cars .. wired

wired.com/news/autotech/0,2554,63615,00.html
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Wired News: Windows Source Code Leaks
Online

Wired News: Windows Source Code Leaks
Online 02/14/2004 04:56 AM
Windows Source Code Leaks Online .. windows is broken .. Wired

wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,62282,00.html
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Orkut members launch Orkut Paranoia
community about Orkut TOS on Orkut

Orkut members launch Orkut Paranoia
community about Orkut TOS on Orkut 02/10/2004 10:42 PM
Geez. My head is spinning. Anyway, BoingBoing reader Adam fields points us to a new "Orkut community" (one of many online affinity groups within the social networking service), called "Orkut Paranoia" (link requires free membership). Adam says, "This formed out of some interesting discussion we've had about what's going on... summarized in this blog post:"

1) Orkut claims irrevocable unlimited license rights to everything you post. Most people don't understand what that means. One example of this is that many of my friends have posted pictures that I've taken. This is probably not a problem, generally, but they've granted Orkut a license to use them without consulting me, and created a legal tangle should I have a problem with that, forcing me to have to perform a legal struggle with Orkut, because of their unwitting actions. I think this is rude behavior on the part of Orkut, but their prerogative to demand.
2) Orkut may share personal information with Google in an unrestricted way. Google is unwilling (so far) to discuss what use they may make of that information.
3) Google's privacy policy possibly has some holes in it with regards to data collected by way of means other than use of the google.com website.

I suspect that Orkut is a way for Google to gather personal information about their clientele for marketing purposes, and to try to form a more solid relationship beyond "I just use Google for search because it's convenient". This is not terribly nefarious, but the kind of data that could be collected to do so has wide potential for abuse, and people should be aware that that's what's going on. Some may not care, but many people I know are signing up without reading or understanding the implications of the above three points.

Link

TSMC lawsuit alleges China chip maker
stole trade secrets

TSMC lawsuit alleges China chip maker
stole trade secrets 12/22/2003 05:26 PM
In it suit, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. alleges that Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. infringed on TSMC patents and misappropriated trade secrets.

Google Faces Lawsuit Over News Copyright

Google Faces Lawsuit Over News Copyright 03/22/2005 03:18 PM
Agence France Presse has sued Google Inc., alleging the Web search leader includes AFP's photos, news headlines and stories on its news site without permission.

News agency AFP files lawsuit against
Google

News agency AFP files lawsuit against
Google 03/22/2005 03:49 PM
The French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) has filed a lawsuit in the District Court of the US District of Columbia against the search engine operator Google. The object of the agency's lawsuit is to stop Google from borrowing without permission headlines, texts and pictures from the agency for its news pages Google News. AFP is suing for what amount to 13.2 million euros in damages. The agency is claiming to have asked Google repeatedly to remove the content in question, with the company having failed to react to the requests, however.

News source: heise online

Read full story...

Wired News: Dropping the Bomb on Google

Wired News: Dropping the Bomb on Google 05/12/2004 05:26 AM
Dropping the Bomb on Google .. told Wired .. liars

wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,63380,00.html
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Wired News: Kerry Gets Google-Bombed

Wired News: Kerry Gets Google-Bombed 05/24/2004 11:26 PM
Kerry Gets Google-Bombed .. Wired News article

wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,63557,00.html
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Wired News: More Reasons to Love Google

Wired News: More Reasons to Love Google 05/01/2004 09:04 AM
Google is doing its best to not be evil .. Google's Unconventional IPO Analyzed .. More Reasons to Love Google .. 2700 milhes de dlares .. Wired

wired.com/news/business/0,1367,63286,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1track this site | 6 links

Wired News: Porn Blogs Manipulate Google

Wired News: Porn Blogs Manipulate Google 08/04/2004 09:28 AM
using bogus Blogspot blogs to boost the Page Rank of their own porn sites .. wired news on porn blog spamming .. reports .. Wired

wired.com/news/business/0,1367,64422,00.html
track this site | 4 links

Guy Who Stole AltaVista Source Code
Working On Search At Microsoft

Guy Who Stole AltaVista Source Code
Working On Search At Microsoft 07/09/2004 03:28 PM
A man who was arrested last week for stealing AltaVista's source code is apparently now working on Microsoft's well publicized search technology efforts. AltaVista, of course, was the original great search engine, before it got confused and decided to "go portal" like everyone else. Apparently, this guy worked at AltaVista, but some time after he left decided he wanted to see how the product had "evolved" and discovered he could still log in to his old AltaVista account. He then downloaded the source code to his home computer. This all happened before he went to work for Microsoft, so the conspiracy theories about Microsoft stealing the code don't apply, but it does raise some questions about Microsoft's search technology.

Wired News: Single Post Wins Google
Contest

Wired News: Single Post Wins Google
Contest 07/09/2004 08:21 AM

Why Google needs Orkut

Why Google needs Orkut 02/10/2004 02:49 AM
In all the discussion of Orkut I've seen so far, most folks are busy comparing Orkut to every other social networking web site around, typically they mention Friendster ("it's so much faster!"), but as we all know these sites are a dime a dozen these days. At least it seems that way. What surprises me is that nobody has looked at it the other way around: What problems might Orkut solve that Google would otherwise find significantly more challenging? Those...

Orkut, Google and Privacy

Orkut, Google and Privacy 02/14/2004 05:25 PM
If I understand this correctly, Google can now link my name and personal information to all of the Google Web searches I do (or may have done, as long as the cookie on my computer has been there, prior to signing up). This is totally outrageous. A company PR person said she'd look into it. I'll let you know what she says.

Google Seeks New Friends With Orkut

Google Seeks New Friends With Orkut 01/25/2004 09:48 PM
High Search Engine Ranking Jan 26 2004 1:16AM GMT

Orkut - Google Social Networking

Orkut - Google Social Networking 01/23/2004 02:22 PM
Google (kinda) Offers Social Networking called Orkut
Acording to this CNET artice, Orkut is the outgrowth of a personal project by Google Engineers Orkut Buyukkokten. He created "Orkut.com in the past several months by working on it about one day a week--an amount that Google asks all of its engineers to devote to personal projects". And oh, by the way:

"Membership to orkut is by invitation only.
If you have a friend who's a member of orkut, have them invite you to join."

Orkut.com, affiliated with Google,
launches.

Orkut.com, affiliated with Google,
launches. 01/22/2004 10:58 PM
Yet another social networking site launches: Orkut.com. All I know about it is that supercool BoingBoing buddy Justin Hall is a member, the site was launched "in association with Google", it includes a friend rating system (ascribe degrees of various attributes to your Orkutsters -- coolness, h4wtness, whatever), and it's asking me to invite all of my friends. (loud retching sounds)

Google Social Network: Orkut

Google Social Network: Orkut 01/23/2004 04:12 PM

Google sued over Orkut bug replication
feature

Google sued over Orkut bug replication
feature 07/02/2004 06:16 PM
Your bugs are our IP

Google debuts Friendster-clone Orkut

Google debuts Friendster-clone Orkut 01/22/2004 11:04 PM
Exclusive Will you be my friend?

Google Launches Orkut to combat
Friendster

Google Launches Orkut to combat
Friendster 01/24/2004 03:30 AM
I4U Jan 24 2004 8:10AM GMT

Google eyes social networking with Orkut

Google eyes social networking with Orkut 01/23/2004 07:38 PM
Google is edging into the social networking space popularized by Friendster, launching on Thursday a networking site created by one of its engineers. ...

Orkut.com Social Networking Engine in
Affiliation with Google

Orkut.com Social Networking Engine in
Affiliation with Google 01/23/2004 02:26 PM
"The move comes in the wake of rumors that Google wanted to buy social networking service Friendster last year and just a day after Eurekster launched, a social network service that refines search results."

Google Hacked? Orkut Personal Info Leaks
Onto Web

Google Hacked? Orkut Personal Info Leaks
Onto Web 05/04/2004 07:39 PM
You are who you link too. Googles social network leaks personal friends network data.

Google Releases Orkut Social Networking
Service

Google Releases Orkut Social Networking
Service 01/23/2004 02:22 PM
Google employee releases social networking service .. orkut, google's social networking app .. released to the public .. Search Engine Watch .. invite only

searchenginewatch.com/searchday/article.php/3302741
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"Google Releases Orkut Social Networking
Service"

"Google Releases Orkut Social Networking
Service" 01/24/2004 02:52 PM

Google Sends Cease-And-Desist To Orkut
Geomapper Site

Google Sends Cease-And-Desist To Orkut
Geomapper Site 05/19/2004 12:15 AM
Search Engine Lowdown May 19 2004 4:28AM GMT

Orkut

Orkut 02/10/2004 02:53 AM
Well, this thing seems to be taking off. Nat threw in the first invite, so I signed up, and another half-dozen or so folks have fired off invites. This is another one of those networking site things, and I've decided that while I'll go accept invites from anyone I know (I really need to get a picture up--I'd throw the rainbow parrot pic I use for iChat, but the TOS seem to indicate that'd be ill-advised) I don't think I'm going to go to much trouble to actively go search people out. These things are always interesting to look at,...

Wired News: The News, One Entry at a
Time

Wired News: The News, One Entry at a
Time 04/20/2004 04:49 PM
how blogging has affected journalism .. The News, One Entry at a Time .. report

wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,63120,00.html
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Wired News: Lawsuit: Google Stole Orkut Code