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garinda · 31-01-2011, 16:53

Yet to find any evidence that Google have acted in anyway illegally.

Still sounds like sour grapes, and the excuse for a good moan.

10th November 2010

Dear Mr Cameron,

Re: an open letter from the UK's only search engine

It's exciting that large international companies like Google and Facebook have decided to invest in the Olympic Park. Their technologies have revolutionised how we store and search for information, shop, communicate...

Also, we're encouraged that your government is taking the technology industry very seriously, regarding recent moves towards establishing Shoreditch as a heart for this industry and encouraging foreign investment.

There are fantastic pioneering works being created in the UK, of which Searchers is one of many. The support of the government is essential to protect our domestic innovations and support our competitive advantage internationally.

We would like to support your efforts in doing this, and take this opportunity to underline a few relevant facts and give our opinion, as home-grown pioneers in search technology, working at the frontiers of this industry.

1. The UK is not within the M25: Your government needs to look beyond the M25. Shoreditch is not the only potential Silicon Valley. The infrastructure of the North West, laid down by our industrial predecessors, is phenomenally prepared for the technology industry. London can't be, and shouldn't try to be, all things.

2. Foreign company revenues and tax bills: While Google, Bing and Yahoo bring jobs and investment, British businesses have advertised on search engines and adopted their services - and have therefore paid for and earned any investment within our shores.

Let's focus on Searchers' own sector for an example: Google reportedly controls a 95% market share of internet search advertising in the UK, and the company has gone on record describing Britain as a key market for its operations.

However, like many multinationals, it has clever accountants and a legitimate, if ethically questionable, way of not paying tax revenue generated from British advertisers. In its US home, it has only an approximate 60% share of the market.

The UK needs help reclaiming some of this market for its businesses and the overall economy, as well as to assist its international reputation for excellence.

3. Our issue with Google telling you that it couldn't have been started up in the UK: Searchers started here seven years ago and has been built using private investment.

We therefore find Google's attitude to the UK business environment perplexing, also considering its massive market share (see above) and the revenues (ditto) - they're doing quite nicely out of it.

Investment by Google might well facilitate great inroads into a British technology 'centre', as it has revolutionised search for the past decade - but the search engine's recent predatory behaviour could be considered borderline abuse of a dominant position.

As such, your assurance to Google that the government will consider changing copyright law to accommodate its business plan is alarming. Google should instead be thanking the UK for the ease in which it has managed to gain its monopoly over UK search, and questions should be asked in Whitehall around how it is that British search, which powers so much of our business infrastructure, is owned by a foreign country.

Mr Cameron, we'd be more than pleased to give you a tour of our facility and speak with you in person about this. The Searchers team has many bright ideas and strong opinions, and we're eager to share them and help implement positive change.

Regards,

Kym Kinlin (technical director), Israr Sarwar (operations director)

CC: Vince Cable MP; George Osborne MP; Graham Jones MP; Accrington...

Dear Mr Cameron: open letter | Facebook

31-01-2011, 16:53	#61
garinda Give, give, give member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Overlookin' ducks & geese Posts: 32,411 Blog Entries: 293 Liked: 27 times Rep Power: 16469	Re: Throwing a Googly. Yet to find any evidence that Google have acted in anyway illegally. Still sounds like sour grapes, and the excuse for a good moan. 10th November 2010 Dear Mr Cameron, Re: an open letter from the UK's only search engine It's exciting that large international companies like Google and Facebook have decided to invest in the Olympic Park. Their technologies have revolutionised how we store and search for information, shop, communicate... Also, we're encouraged that your government is taking the technology industry very seriously, regarding recent moves towards establishing Shoreditch as a heart for this industry and encouraging foreign investment. There are fantastic pioneering works being created in the UK, of which Searchers is one of many. The support of the government is essential to protect our domestic innovations and support our competitive advantage internationally. We would like to support your efforts in doing this, and take this opportunity to underline a few relevant facts and give our opinion, as home-grown pioneers in search technology, working at the frontiers of this industry. 1. The UK is not within the M25: Your government needs to look beyond the M25. Shoreditch is not the only potential Silicon Valley. The infrastructure of the North West, laid down by our industrial predecessors, is phenomenally prepared for the technology industry. London can't be, and shouldn't try to be, all things. 2. Foreign company revenues and tax bills: While Google, Bing and Yahoo bring jobs and investment, British businesses have advertised on search engines and adopted their services - and have therefore paid for and earned any investment within our shores. Let's focus on Searchers' own sector for an example: Google reportedly controls a 95% market share of internet search advertising in the UK, and the company has gone on record describing Britain as a key market for its operations. However, like many multinationals, it has clever accountants and a legitimate, if ethically questionable, way of not paying tax revenue generated from British advertisers. In its US home, it has only an approximate 60% share of the market. The UK needs help reclaiming some of this market for its businesses and the overall economy, as well as to assist its international reputation for excellence. 3. Our issue with Google telling you that it couldn't have been started up in the UK: Searchers started here seven years ago and has been built using private investment. We therefore find Google's attitude to the UK business environment perplexing, also considering its massive market share (see above) and the revenues (ditto) - they're doing quite nicely out of it. Investment by Google might well facilitate great inroads into a British technology 'centre', as it has revolutionised search for the past decade - but the search engine's recent predatory behaviour could be considered borderline abuse of a dominant position. As such, your assurance to Google that the government will consider changing copyright law to accommodate its business plan is alarming. Google should instead be thanking the UK for the ease in which it has managed to gain its monopoly over UK search, and questions should be asked in Whitehall around how it is that British search, which powers so much of our business infrastructure, is owned by a foreign country. Mr Cameron, we'd be more than pleased to give you a tour of our facility and speak with you in person about this. The Searchers team has many bright ideas and strong opinions, and we're eager to share them and help implement positive change. Regards, Kym Kinlin (technical director), Israr Sarwar (operations director) CC: Vince Cable MP; George Osborne MP; Graham Jones MP; Accrington... Dear Mr Cameron: open letter \| Facebook __________________ 'If you're going to be a Kant, be the very best Kant there is my son.' Johann Georg Kant, father of Immanuel Kant, philosopher.