Google hit with $208K fine over alleged defamation

Google has lost a defamation lawsuit in Australia.

An Australian court today ordered Google to pay 200,000 Australian dollars ($208,760) to Milorad Trkulja for showing search results that might have caused users to link him to mobsters. The AFP was first to report on the judgment.

Trkulja, an entertainment promoter, was shot in the back in 2004. After that shooting, Google search results related to his name referenced organized crime. Trkulja's attorney requested the links be removed from Google's search in 2009, saying that they were "grossly defamatory."

In court, a jury agreed with Trkulja, saying that although Google didn't own the links potentially tying Trkulja with organized crime figures, the company was responsible for displaying them. Judge David Beach, who ordered the fine, also agreed with the jury, arguing that Google is the "publisher" of search results, and therefore, should be held liable.

"Google is like the newsagent that sells a newspaper containing a defamatory article," Beach wrote in his judgement, according to the AFP. "While there might be no specific intention to publish defamatory material, there is a relevant intention by the newsagent to publish the newspaper for the purposes of the law of defamation."

The judge's order could potentially be a major issue for Google. By ruling that the company is responsible for any incorrect information that might be shared on its search results, the judge has established a precedent that could invite more lawsuits.

That issue of precedence also might have contributed to Google's loss. According to the AFP, Trkulja previously sued Yahoo on the same grounds and won 225,000 Australian dollars for that alleged violation.

It's not surprising, then, that Google is reportedly considering filing an appeal to see if it can have the ruling overturned.

CNET has contacted Google for comment on the lawsuit. We will update this story when we have more information.