5 ms·

Why don't they just use robots.txt to keep themselves out of Google's index? User-agent: Googlebot Disallow: / Has Google stopped using that directive?

ramy_d 9y ago
I would really like an answer to this question as well. Is there something we are missing?
- subroutine 9y ago
  Yes, Equustek obtained court orders requiring Google to remove Datalink websites from its Canadian search results. That is, Equustek does not own the Datalink website, but wants it de-indexed. And just to clarify, this article was about Equustek obtaining a further injunction from the court ordering Google to remove the websites from its global search results.
  - ramy_d 9y ago
    whoa that's messed up, I think google is right in that this is between Equustek and Datalink. This does indeed seem like a bad precedent.
    - tjl 9y ago
      Except, they've fled the country and only can continue business because of Google's search results. So, Google is basically contributing to their business existing. That's why the order was granted.
      - ramy_d 9y ago
        That is indeed a tough spot to be in. What about Bing? and what if google didn't have an office in Canada? Who would get sued then? tough call.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
jakub_g 9y ago
To nitpick: FYI robots.txt is not enough. In fact, to make sure stuff doesn't show up at all in Google, you must not use robots.txt blocking, but allow everything, and use noindex meta tag. Otherwise you might have uncrawled, but indexed entries in search results, if a URL is popular for some reason (linked somewhere else etc.) See https://youtu.be/KBdEwpRQRD0 https://youtu.be/KBdEwpRQRD0
sbarre 9y ago
This isn't about keeping themselves off Google it's about removing someone else's results (someone who was stealing and re-labeling their products).
- jakub_g 9y ago
  Now it makes more sense. The article did a terrible job of explaining that.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
danjoc 9y ago
It wasn't their site. From the article: "Equustek Solutions based in Burnaby B.C., which manufacturers networking technology. Equustek had successfully sued another company for relabelling its products and passing them off as their own." When the evil corp lost in Canada, it moved out of the country and continued the same practice. Frankly, I'm disappointed in Google for fighting this in the first place. SMH. Imagine if this were Apple rebranding Samsung Galaxies as Apple devices. Of course Google should remove those product listings.
- lsaferite 9y ago
  I'm confused how buying a product, relabeling the product, then selling it is illegal? I know I sound naive, but really, what's illegal about that?
  - danjoc 9y ago
    If you buy the Mona Lisa, do you believe you have the right to sign your name on it and claim credit for painting it? It's called "reverse passing off." That is illegal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_passing_off#Reverse_passing_off https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_passing_off#Reverse_pa...
- averagewall 9y ago
  Why can't you rebrand a product? You bought it, you own it, you can resell it. This case is much more complicated however. It's two business partners who had a falling out and both tried to put each other out of business. The marketing guy kept their own brand and customer base while the tech guy tried to rebrand and sell his products on his own. The marketing guy hired an engineer to make a new product that does the same function. The tech guy accuses him of copying his technology. http://robertfleminglawyers.com/pdf/2012_BCSC_1490_Equustek_Solutions_Inc._v._Jack.pdf http://robertfleminglawyers.com/pdf/2012_BCSC_1490_Equustek_...
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
  - 9y ago
happy-go-lucky 9y ago
https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/93710?hl=en https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/93710?hl=en > You can prevent a page from appearing in Google Search by including a noindex meta tag in the page's HTML code. When Googlebot next crawls that page, Googlebot will see the noindex meta tag and will drop that page entirely from Google Search results, regardless of whether other sites link to it. > Important! For the noindex meta tag to be effective, the page must not be blocked by a robots.txt file. If the page is blocked by a robots.txt file, the crawler will never see the noindex tag, and the page can still appear in search results, for example if other pages link to it.

ramy_d 9y ago

I would really like an answer to this question as well. Is there something we are missing?

subroutine 9y ago
Yes, Equustek obtained court orders requiring Google to remove Datalink websites from its Canadian search results. That is, Equustek does not own the Datalink website, but wants it de-indexed. And just to clarify, this article was about Equustek obtaining a further injunction from the court ordering Google to remove the websites from its global search results.
- ramy_d 9y ago
  whoa that's messed up, I think google is right in that this is between Equustek and Datalink. This does indeed seem like a bad precedent.
  - tjl 9y ago
    Except, they've fled the country and only can continue business because of Google's search results. So, Google is basically contributing to their business existing. That's why the order was granted.
    - ramy_d 9y ago
      That is indeed a tough spot to be in. What about Bing? and what if google didn't have an office in Canada? Who would get sued then? tough call.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]

jakub_g 9y ago

To nitpick: FYI robots.txt is not enough. In fact, to make sure stuff doesn't show up at all in Google, you must not use robots.txt blocking, but allow everything, and use noindex meta tag. Otherwise you might have uncrawled, but indexed entries in search results, if a URL is popular for some reason (linked somewhere else etc.) See https://youtu.be/KBdEwpRQRD0 https://youtu.be/KBdEwpRQRD0

sbarre 9y ago

This isn't about keeping themselves off Google it's about removing someone else's results (someone who was stealing and re-labeling their products).

jakub_g 9y ago
Now it makes more sense. The article did a terrible job of explaining that.

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

danjoc 9y ago

It wasn't their site. From the article: "Equustek Solutions based in Burnaby B.C., which manufacturers networking technology. Equustek had successfully sued another company for relabelling its products and passing them off as their own." When the evil corp lost in Canada, it moved out of the country and continued the same practice. Frankly, I'm disappointed in Google for fighting this in the first place. SMH. Imagine if this were Apple rebranding Samsung Galaxies as Apple devices. Of course Google should remove those product listings.

lsaferite 9y ago
I'm confused how buying a product, relabeling the product, then selling it is illegal? I know I sound naive, but really, what's illegal about that?
- danjoc 9y ago
  If you buy the Mona Lisa, do you believe you have the right to sign your name on it and claim credit for painting it? It's called "reverse passing off." That is illegal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_passing_off#Reverse_passing_off https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_passing_off#Reverse_pa...
averagewall 9y ago
Why can't you rebrand a product? You bought it, you own it, you can resell it. This case is much more complicated however. It's two business partners who had a falling out and both tried to put each other out of business. The marketing guy kept their own brand and customer base while the tech guy tried to rebrand and sell his products on his own. The marketing guy hired an engineer to make a new product that does the same function. The tech guy accuses him of copying his technology. http://robertfleminglawyers.com/pdf/2012_BCSC_1490_Equustek_Solutions_Inc._v._Jack.pdf http://robertfleminglawyers.com/pdf/2012_BCSC_1490_Equustek_...
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- 9y ago

happy-go-lucky 9y ago

https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/93710?hl=en https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/93710?hl=en > You can prevent a page from appearing in Google Search by including a noindex meta tag in the page's HTML code. When Googlebot next crawls that page, Googlebot will see the noindex meta tag and will drop that page entirely from Google Search results, regardless of whether other sites link to it. > Important! For the noindex meta tag to be effective, the page must not be blocked by a robots.txt file. If the page is blocked by a robots.txt file, the crawler will never see the noindex tag, and the page can still appear in search results, for example if other pages link to it.