Regular readers know that I’ve been critical of Google in the past. But their business model doesn’t mean that some state attorney general with an agenda gets to use the power of government to do the bidding of the MPAA and movie studios. Nonetheless, it appears that that’s exactly what’s happening.
Knowledgeable observers have long assumed that Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood has been carrying water for the MPAA and studios by pursuing fraudulent legal action against Google. Indeed, a federal judge has already ruled that Hood acted in bad faith to deny Google its constitutional rights. Google responded by subpoenaing documents from the MPAA and studios. Despite frantic resistance from the studios, Google has found a smoking gun in the form of an email trail between Hood’s staff and the MPAA.
The email, which is marked confidential, details plans to enlist various media outlets—including the Today Show and the Wall Street Journal—to place pieces critical of Google. If that fails, the memo says that Hood can issue a CID (basically a subpoena) written by the MPAA.
One hopes that when Google’s finished they’ll own a large portion of the MPAA’s bank account and that Hood will be removed from office. That’s probably too much to hope for but the collusion between Hollywood vested interests and an Attorney General to deprive a company of their constitutional rights should not be allowed to stand.
Added before publication: In the meantime, Hood refuses to take the hint.