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Google will be forced to make a company disappear

Google will be forced to make a company disappear

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Inspired by the "right to be forgotten," a Canadian court has ordered Google to delete links to a company

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A group of people just won the "right to be forgotten" from Google. Now a company is being spirited away, too.

Google must remove search results from every one of its sites, Google.com included

The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled in a controversial case last month that search companies must listen, and possibly act, when people request that search results about themselves be taken down. (Google will reportedly comply with that ruling soon.) Inspired by that decision, a Canadian court has now ruled that Google must remove search results for a Canadian company's competitor, not just in Canada but around the world.

Equustek Solutions contends that a rival ripped off its network device technology, then sold it on more than 300 websites. Google voluntarily removed the links from Google.ca, where most Canadians would search, but the Supreme Court of British Columbia granted an injunction forcing Google to remove search results from every one of its sites, Google.com included.

Although Google argued that Canadian law couldn't be applied to the entire world, the court cited Canada's Law and Equity Act, which grants broad power for a court to issue injunctions when it's "just or convenient that the order should be made." Google has until June 27 to remove the links.