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ARTICLE · 10 MAY 2020

Google liable for publishing search results and newspaper webpages

Gilchrist Connell
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Google was ordered to pay damages for defamation, finding that the search engine was a publisher of the search results.

AustraliaLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Alex Haslam
Alex Haslam
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On 30 April 2020, the Supreme Court of Victoria in Defteros v Google LLC [2020] VSC 219, ordered Google to pay $40,000 in defamation damages to a Melbourne lawyer, finding that the search engine was a publisher of search results and had defamed the lawyer.

Background

George Defteros is a criminal law solicitor. During the 1990s and early 2000s, he was a partner of the firm Pryles & Defteros, whose clients included Mario Condello and other figures from Melbourne's 'gangland wars'.

In 2004, Mr Defteros and Mr Condello were charged with conspiracy and incitement to murder Carl Williams and other Melbourne gangland figures. Mr Defteros surrendered his practising certificate shortly afterwards.

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