Express Tribune Violates Google TOS

By Saleh Sikandar | 27, Jul 2010 | 34 Comments

Newly launched newspaper, Express Tribune, is apparently violating Google Terms of Services for using Google Custom Search Engine on its website.

Express Tribune uses Google Custom Search service to facilitate its readers with best possible search results; however, webmaster has apparently removed the Google branding from search box, which is not allowed by the Google TOS.

One may opine that Express Tribune is using “Google Site Search”, a paid solution for businesses that allows removal of Google branding, however, ads displayed in Search results and “Google Custom Search” logo in results confirms that website is using the free version.

A query sent to Express Tribune’s webmaster regarding this is still awaiting response.

This violation, if reported, can cost heavy to Express Tribune, as Google can ban this website forever by not displaying it in Google Search, a nightmare for any online business.

http://winars.com/ Waisybabu | WINARS.com

Oh. Well, I hope they figure out the issue soon. :)
A.K, khan

this paper is bad for pk … i stopped reading it coz it had too many anti paki thing from time to time
http://yasirimran.blogspot.com/ Yasir Imran

That’s bad, violation is already associated very strongly with Pakistani, now Pakistani websites are doing that already.
http://vsocio.com Vsocio

Hmm Well i dont think google will notice such a little thing.
http://www.sizlopedia.com Saad Hamid

Umm seriously this is the best news you people could get? Huh!
- Khan
  
  What the hell you mean by “You people”? Don’t you belong to Pakistan too?
http://tribune.com.pk Express Tribune

So why you people are pulling legs? So you got nothing to write on today and you did this? If Google bans forever that would be because of you. Do you get the responsibility?

I don’t know why Pakistani’s like you are always leg pullers.

Think about it what you have done Aamir Atta..!!
- ta6ish
  
  =p 100% agree.
  - A for Apple
    
    He sounds like our MPAs & MNA, instead of admitting their jali degree they are killing the messenger! Reminds me of JJJ, responsible for mess in Pakistan. :)
    - Faizy
      
      very true Mr. “A for Apple”…dont do illegal things…other wise any one can ask you…teen J Lolz…!!!
- K.A.
  
  If someone in India, Europe, US or any country where they have working laws to curb such activities, you were never going to question “Why” someone is pointing to your activities, but in fact the first thing you were going to do was reverting it to save your %^$. You are doing wrong and have a typical attitude most of people here have when they are told what is right and wrong. Be descent and a good professional and not a “choor”. Don’t give a bad name to Pakistan please.
- http://vsocio.com Vsocio
  
  100% agreed with you
- http://yasirimran.blogspot.com/ Yasir Imran
  
  Instead of feeling shame , you feel happy to break laws, When it comes to you, you want exception from law and when it comes to others you expect law must be enforced. What benefit you will get if you remove Google logo from search box. Do you think Google popularity will be decreased ?
  
  No it is you, who loose respect. Instead of shouting go and make sure you have followed the proper rules to implement an international service in your website.
- Adam Ali
  
  lolz @ Express Tribue…
  
  Guys.. you are talking about responsibility after removing the google customer search logo… what about your responsibility while agreeing with TOC… ______… lmao…
  [comment edited]
- http://www.making-your-own-website.com Nabeel | Create Your First Website
  
  I do not think that comment is from the original Express Tribune staff. Anyone could have written that comment.
  
  And secondly, Saleh Sikandar wrote this post, and not Aamir Atta.
http://awamiweb.com/ Nouman Younas

yeah why they do this?? they are professionals.. @admin plz tell us about Google search. i really don’t know some things in it. like search within site & which setting is ideal.
Regards
Osama Ali

mr Amir Atta.

They might be using the business edition of Google Custom Search. you can remove Google branding in it.
http://www.making-your-own-website.com Nabeel | Create Your First Website

Whoa if this is true, then I do not understand why a big media company is doing this?
- Adam Ali
  
  its not business edition.
http://www.funibook.com/ Khurram

There is no reason why they remove google branding, in any case user will know that they are suing google for search results.
http://youtube.com/rjahmad Jawad

They should be taken to courts
http://local.com.pk/hunza Jabran

This behaviour from Pakistani IT infrastructure doesn’t workout good enough to progressive path. Copyrights violation is one thing & never mind since there is no law about it yet and other thing where our webmasters as individuals & COMPANIES particularly put up their best work with EGO to not credit those whose work they are using. I had seen Dunya TV using Google Maps snapshots with removed Google logo, Express Interactive facebook fan page just grabbing the pictures from around the web and putting as their own without crediting the owner.. This all shows that how we are trained ourself to show others work under our names and that is one main cause of our failure in IT.!
eX

Getting penalized by Google is some of the worst nightmares, Tribune should fix it up or they might require new domain :D lol
Reader

Confirmed. They are using Google Custom Search paid version. basic rate is 100usdollar per year and contains no add.

Also I don’t think this news is blogworthy of such a good blog.
bila

bhai in ka adsense jald farag ho ga tension not :)
http://www.Pagli.tv Pagli

Hello Mr.A, Who the hell are you taking Notice for that, If Google is not taking notice, why are you..?

Don’t forget you’re also a publsher of google.. so stay calm.. and let the Google do his work.
Kohtari House

bila adsense farag honeh keh liye ruka hua hoon, ab dubara tension ho rahee heh
http://local.com.pk/hunza Jabran

it seems, they have purchased the paid version replacing the free since there are no ads anymore in search result. Well, fair enough!
- http://www.making-your-own-website.com Nabeel | Create Your First Website
  
  No, the ads are still appearing. What keyword did you type in their search? Probably that keyword had no ads for it (no one was bidding for it).
  
  Example:
  
  Seach for ‘lol’ (there will be no ads) and then search for ‘computers’ (there will be ads).
  - http://Www.local.com.pk Jabran
    
    Ah.. Ok. In that case it would be very unfortunate because i searched for “Pakistan”. :)
http://propakistani.pk Muhammad Zohair Chohan

The downtime for Tribune is so high, their blogs section is also down, I think some non-professional guys are managing their web.
- http://www.making-your-own-website.com Nabeel | Create Your First Website
  
  Yeah I was trying to access their website since the whole afternoon, but it was not loading.
http://www.infopakistan.pk K Shahzad

OMG, not sure why such a personal story had to be published here, this would have costed much to express tribune. Above all what this was doing was to contributing some extra bucks to Pakistani economy, so as you sent just the personal message to express tribune webmaster was fine.

They have however fixed this now by adding a watermark Google logo inside the field.

However this post can be regarded informative for any webmasters using Adsense in case they didn’t noticed this in Google TOS. But still there may be many ways to deliver a point.
amjad

The story is fake, please checkout http://tribune.com.pk and you will not found such violation.

Please confirm the things before post, be responsible in posting.

The issue with actually with the browser of post author, the client side script “js” was disabled on his machine. so he sees the google search form without Google Text. :)

Regards,

Amjad