AN ACTION by the owners of the Ballymascanlon House Hotel in Co Louth against internet giant Google over alleged defamation of the hotel’s business and reputation via Google’s web search service has been settled at the Commercial Court.
No terms of settlement were disclosed when Hugh Mohan SC, for the plaintiffs, told Mr Justice Peter Kelly yesterday the case had been settled and could be struck out with no order. The judge welcomed the settlement and made the strike-out order sought.
Oliver Quinn snr, Oliver Quinn jnr, Niall Quinn and Ballymascanlon Holdings Ltd had initiated the proceedings last May.
It was alleged that Google had permitted, since about March 14th 2011, the term “receivership” to automatically appear after the hotel’s trading name when a search is carried out in the autocomplete suggestions in the search bar. This suggested the hotel was in receivership or financial difficulty when it was not, the plaintiffs claim.
The case was initially brought against Google Ireland but California-based Google Inc was later added as a co-defendant. Solicitors for the defence had sought to have the case discontinued against Google Ireland on grounds it was not responsible for providing the Google web search service.
The defendants had applied to have the proceedings fast-tracked in the Commercial Court but, when that motion was adjourned to yesterday on consent.
Mr Justice Kelly had remarked the case involved “an unusual commercial defamation claim”.
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