Blogger not under our control, says Google India

MUMBAI, INDIA: Google India, the Indian subsidiary of US-based software giant, said on Monday that it will not be able to control the publication of content on its blogging website.

The company has moved the Bombay High Court over a single judge order restraining the website from allowing the publication of defamatory blogs. The case pertained to a blog containing allegedly defamatory material about Dr Ashwin Mehta, a city-based cardiologist. The offensive blog-posts were subsequently removed.

Google India argued that it does not control the publication of content on blog-hosting website ‘Blogger’ (owned by Google Inc), and is not liable for the same. The blog-hosting company cannot monitor what is posted on blogs all the time, said Google.

“The Blogger service is provided by Google Inc. We (Google India) are not a party to the agreement between Google Inc and those who use the blog... We have no liability or responsibility for the content of the blog,” Google India’s lawyer argued.

The Google counsel argued that “a mind-boggling 2,50,000 words per minute are put out on blogging sites”.

However, Mehta's lawyer argued that both Google and its Indian subsidiary have the power to remove content from the website.