Google Performs Drama, “Stirring Up Trouble,” Worldwide

Published in Xinhua
(China) on 19 March 2010
by Tang Yue Wei (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Sarah Chan. Edited by Patricia Simoni.
Recently, the Internet community has not been very calm, and this is because Google is reluctant to keep quiet.

Since the beginning of the year, the American Internet search engine company has threatened to withdraw from the Chinese market on several occasions. On March 10, Google's executives once again threatened that they will no longer abide by Chinese laws and regulations related to reviewing search content, even if this option leads to shutting down the Chinese search engine Google.cn and their withdrawal from the Chinese market. Recently, Western media has reported "Google and China Talks Break Down” and “Google Withdrawal from Chinese Market is Almost Inevitable."

In just a few months, one might say that Google has performed a drama series of "I'm leaving" - "I'm not leaving" - "I don't want to leave" for Internet users around the world. However, when the Western media overly concentrates its attention on China, we might as well take a good look at the world, and see what the "business conduct" of this business company is like on a global level?

First of all, let's take a look at Google's performance in Germany: losing its lawsuit for the right to use "Gmail" in Germany, the German government being against the "Google Maps" program, and the German news media's anti-trust case against it. Perhaps it is the Germans' strict and pragmatic nature that seems to clash with Google's "romantic" nature, and Google always runs into a brick wall when it comes to its development in Germany.

It stands to reason that the United Kingdom and the United States have had a partnership based on friendship and mutual assistance, and in many international affairs they are able to maintain a consistency that is hard to come by. But this does not mean that life in the UK for Google is much better. Whether Google evades taxes of 450 million pounds in the UK, or Google is accused by British media companies for being "digital content thieves," among other things, all illustrate the fact that there is more "trouble" here.

Representing the spirit of liberalism, France and Google — labeled as "doing no evil" — should be able to get along very well. However, things did not develop as people had imagined: First, Google France was fined 300,000 euros for book copyright infringement; next, a French court convicted Google of violating trademark rights of search ads for two companies; later on, Google Videos was suspected of infringement and sued by a French film company. There are a number of indications that point to commercial interest, and whether or not "evil" is involved is no longer important.

If Google has underperformed in the European market, its dominance in the Asian markets has encountered strong resistance from Koreans. On March 11, South Korea warned Google that if the Google mobile phone games do not comply with South Korean laws and regulations, Google will be penalized. South Korea said, "Providing gaming services without examining existing laws is an indisputable violation; we have asked Google to take corrective measures." However, Google insisted that "they provide the same service all over the world, and South Korea is no exception." The resulting contradictions: Stick to its so-called "global policy", or comply with South Korean law?

Finally, let us turn our attention to the U.S. If foreign countries are not "fond of" Google, then there should be no problems in its home base, right? In fact, in these past few years, they have encountered many problems in the U.S., as well.

A bank clerk accidentally sent an e-mail that leaked loan information on 1,300 clients, containing names, addresses and tax ID numbers, to a Gmail account, making the bank very anxious. They quickly contacted Google and requested the removal of the confidential e-mail; however, in order to ensure the confidentiality of the Gmail account user's information, Google refused. As a result, the bank took Google to court.

The examples above show that in Google's worldwide drama performance of "stirring up trouble," this has almost become the company's "instinctive behavior." This also means that Google's "messing around" in China is not by chance, but it is the disregard of business ethics and corporate social responsibility, as well as having self interests above that of other countries. If Google cannot face up to its mistakes and is dead set in its ways, continuing with its worldwide performance of "stirring up trouble," then it will be caught in the awkward situation of making enemies around the world.


Google在全球演“闹”剧

2010年03月19日  来源:新华网 唐月伟

最近的互联网界不太平静,这是因为Google的不甘寂寞。

自年初以来,这家美国互联网搜索引擎公司数次声称要退出中国市场,3月10日,Google的高管再次扬言,将不再按照中国的相关法律法规对搜索内容进行审查,即使这一选择导致关闭Google.cn中文搜索引擎、离开中国市场。近日,西方媒体又报道称"Google和中国谈判破裂,撤出中国市场几成定局"。

短短数月,Google可谓给全球网民表演了一出"我要走"--"我不走"--"我不想走"的"闹"剧。然而,当西方媒体把目光过度集中到中国身上时,我们不妨来放眼世界,看一下在全球范围内,这家商业公司的"商业品行"?

首先,让我们看一下Google在德国的表现。从它在德国败诉失去"Gmail"使用权、 德国政府反对"Google地图"计划 ,到德国新闻媒体对其提出反垄断诉讼,或许日耳曼人天性中的严谨和务实似乎与Google的"浪漫"本质不和谐,因此Google在德国的发展总是屡屡"碰壁"。

按理说,英国和美国一直是友好互助的伙伴,在很多国际事务上都能保持难得的一致性。但是这并不意味着Google在英国的日子就有多么好过。无论是Google在英国逃税4.5亿英镑,还是 Google被英国媒体公司指责为"数字内容盗窃者"等一系列行为,都说明一个事实,那就是这里的"麻烦"反倒更多一些。

作为自由主义精神的代表,法国和Google标榜的"不作恶"之间应该很谈得来吧。但是,事情的发展并没有像人们设想得那样:先是Google法国侵犯图书版权被判罚30万欧元,后来法国法院判Google搜索广告侵犯两家公司商标权,再到视频站点涉嫌侵权Google遭法国电影公司起诉等,种种迹象表明,在商业利益面前,作不作"恶"已经变得不再重要了。

如果说Google在欧洲市场的表现不尽人意,那么其在亚洲市场上霸道,则遭到了韩国人的顽强抵抗。韩国11日警告Google,如果Google手机游戏内容不符合韩国法律规范,Google将会受到惩罚。韩国表示:"未经现行法规定接受预审就提供游戏服务是无可争辩的违法行为,我们已经要求Google方面进行更正。"但是Google坚持:"在世界范围内提供同样的服务,韩国不能例外。"矛盾由此产生:是固守其所谓的"全球性政策"还是遵守韩国法律呢?

最后,让我们把目光投向美国本土。如果说Goole在异国他乡不被"待见",那么在其大本营所在地应该相安无事了吧?事实上这几年,他们在美国遭遇的麻烦也不少。

一名银行职员意外地发错了一封邮件,将包含1300名客户的贷款信息,包括姓名,地址,税号一并泄露到了GMail的一个电子邮箱,这让银行很是紧张,速联络Google要求删除机密电子邮件,但Google以确保客户信息秘密为由予以拒绝。 于是,该银行一纸拆状将其告上法庭。

以上事实表明,在全球演"闹"剧已成了Google这家商业公司的"近乎本能性行为"。这也说明了,Google在中国的"折腾"并非偶然,而是其把不顾商业道德和企业公民责任的自身利益凌驾于其他国家、公司之上的一种必然。如果Google公司不能正视自己的错误一意孤行,继续在全球演"闹"剧,那么它将陷入全球树敌的尴尬境地。

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