The Google-Moveon-Collins Flap

THE GOOGLE-MOVEON-COLLINS FLAP, OR "THE OTHER SHOE DROPS AND IT FITS QUITE NICELY."
[SOURCE: Public Knowledge, AUTHOR: Harold Feld, MAP]
[Commentary] A deeper look into the flap over Google removing ads by the campaign to re-elect Sen Susan Collins (R-ME) because they included the MoveOn.org logo. Running so many ads per day, Google's efforts to protect trademarks is completely automated. No human being is actually involved in the identification process, and therefore you can get your free speech rights cut off. But hey, as the IP Mafia always like to remind us, if the First Amendment ends up as collateral damage in our war to protect trademarks from any sort of use we do not absolutely control and monetize, well, it’s a shame, but that’s just the price you gotta pay. After all, you can’t expect to win the war against the public domain without cracking a few First Amendment eggs. So no, neither Google nor the folks at Moveon knew this happened before it happened and got all over the press. Which, I expect the defenders of Verizon point out, was exactly what Verizon claimed. And therefore aren't we all once again hypocrites, useful idiots, base curs and scalawags, etc., etc. for having jumped on poor innocent Verizon?
http://www.publicknowledge.org/node/1215