Get hooked up with AT&T ConnecTechLawsuit claims Google stole idea for Sky layer in Earth
A former Google contractor is suing the company for allegedly stealing from him the idea for the Sky layer in Google Earth.
The lawsuit filed this week in federal district court in Atlanta seeks punitive damages of $25 million from Google.
Jonathan Cobb claims in his suit that he disclosed the idea for a Google Sky idea in internal e-mail discussion groups when he worked at Google as a contractor beginning in 2006.
The Google Earth Sky layer, when it launched in August 2007, was similar in interface and functionality to what he had conceptualized, Cobb claims.
Google representatives did not return e-mails seeking comment.
The case may not be as straightforward as it sounds, says one Internet law expert.
"These types of misappropriation claims are easy to make and hard to disprove," says Eric Goldman, an assistant professor at Santa Clara University School of Law. "It's not entirely clear that Cobb wins even if everything he says is true."
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Atmospheric halo was added to WorldWind in Feb 2006 http://www.worldwindcentral.com/wiki/Add-on:Atmospheric_halo
i've been logged in to over 30 accounts so far. i took about 25 screen shots as a proof. that was still not enough proof for google support to reply!
http://newdms.jamesreserve.edu/sean_askay/kml/Suggestions
And I'm sure that others have made similar suggestions if you look back far enough in the Keyhole BBS.
cheating, ripping off, destroying reputations is
expected and encouraged by companies in SF Bay
Area. Biz as normal.
My recommendation is next time keep your mouth
shut, dont do business in the valley or atleast
file a patent application.
Tough nuggies !
http://www.resourceshelf.com/2007/08/22/nyt-on-new-google-service-sad-to-say-no-mention-of-similar-service-from-nasa/
The same data is also available at Wiki-Sky. This service was featured in a May, 2007 New Scientist post.
http://www.newscientist.com/blog/space/2007/03/wikisky-brings-sky-gazing-to-online.html
Finally, lots of great stuff and layers available for several planets and space in general via
http://www.worldwindcentral.com, a NASA open-source 3D image viewer.
There are so many reasons why his claims are fruitless:
1. He was being PAID for his CONSULTATION.DUH!
2. His idea was likely unsolicited.
3. He neither patented his idea nor had prior art.
4. He had likely taken no active steps of launching a 'Google Earth'-like service of his own with the Sky feature, or peddled the idea competitively.
5. His Google contract probably sealed up this potentiality airtight.
6. He certainly didn't disclose it under NDA.
Finally, there is no way in hell Google would even entertain an audience of a company which wished to propose a 'feature request' to a Google product under NDA without a non-NDA generalization of what it was - in fact when I interviewed with Google (didn't get the job), I know I signed a paper which addressed this specifically (e.g. "dont tell us anything you don't want us to know".
So, this guy needs to take his ball and go home.