Bing steals search results from Google

[Refalm]

It all started with tarsorrhaphy. Really. As it happens, tarsorrhaphy is a rare surgical procedure on eyelids. And in the summer of 2010, we were looking at the search results for an unusual misspelled query [torsorophy]. Google returned the correct spelling—tarsorrhaphy—along with results for the corrected query. At that time, Bing had no results for the misspelling. Later in the summer, Bing started returning our first result to their users without offering the spell correction (see screenshots below). This was very strange. How could they return our first result to their users without the correct spelling? Had they known the correct spelling, they could have returned several more relevant results for the corrected query.

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[reactosguy]

I heard this just today.

I'm pretty sure Ars Technica had an article on this.

[reactosguy]

Oh yeah, and Google's accusation was called stupid.

[Aloone_Jonez]

Are search results copyrighted?

If not, I say so what? Surely the search engines borrowing results from one another is a good thing.

[Lead Head]

Is it really copying? It seems more likely to me that Microsoft is more or less using the Bing Toolbar to help refine Bing by checking what users search for on other search engines, and what results the click on.

I suppose yes it is cheating, but does it really matter?

[yahurd]

Google's whining because it's dominance is being threatened.

They can't copyright specific search functions, and can't feasibly, FEASIBLY putting a notice, "by using the search function, you are indeed not another search engine RIPPING US OFF..."

Besides it seems to me this would already be pretty commonplace amongst the search industry...

If 2 people have databases for the search  "online games" numbering in roughly 600,000 and only half are similar, both benefit by combining them into a search with 900,000 or a million+ views, the only thing that happens is the dominant one slightly loses an edge.

Which is nothing if they both get a boost, but when your strategy RELIES on being dominant, and you can't afford to lose the edge over another company, is when you'll have problems, but cause bigger problems as this hurts the user, who will eventually go elsewhere.

[piratePenguin]

Bing would benefit by explaining this behavior pronto rather than have people guessing about what they're doing, and what they think of it.

But indeed I don't think this is such a terrible thing.

I doubt copyright is the answer here as Google and such companies have 99999999x more to benefit without it's use on the open web! (and so do you)

[davidnix71]

Google's default auto "correction" is annoying. It prevents correct searches many times.
I want to scream obscenitites at the @ssh0l3 who keeps asking me "Did you mean xyz"
This forces me to -this -that -the other repeatedly to get the search correct.

Bing sux BTW compared to Google. Yahoo is worse.

[Aloone_Jonez]

It's pretty easy to bypass the autocorect.

I like it because it's the only thing which can correct my crappy spelling.

[reactosguy]

I agree that Google is playing another game of dominance. If one chess champion doesn't give a heck about losing to a university computer, why does Google complain about losing search results?

Copied search results won't make Google lose money, but really whining about it costs you in the long term. It's obvious why Google is whining: they don't want Microsoft to take over.

I've read Linux Evangelism, and the guy who runs this site reported on this and complained how Microsoft is still using their copycat tactic. Epic fail...

[yahurd]

Mafia$oft is back to their old tricks of outright thievery. Remember how the monopolistic entity stole the idea of the GUI from Apple (Apple licensed it from Xerox), thus beginning the plague on the world known as Windoze?

Now they are back to their old tricks, this time with Google instead. Knowing they are too retarded to actually compete with better technology and algorithms, Mafia$oft's Google imitator actually goes as far as "Googling" for search results to add to their own search engine. Pretty neat trick huh?

This guy is...I wouldn't use him for info.
I believe MS licensed it from apple or from xerox.
But if any of us cared about licensing, the only thing with windows and icons and buttons would be the office copy/printer!!!!
and noone wants that!

There'd be no BEos, gnome, KDE, x windows, ubuntu, nuttin!

Just terminals terminals terminals to this day as everyone had to go about thinking up ideas other than xerox's GUI...

So lets all pour a glass, find a torrent of "Pirates of silicon valley" and have a toast to "stealing" ideas.