Google Knockoffs Face Obstacles in China
Recently we reported on a pair of Google (GOOG) knockoff sites–Goojje.com and Youtubecn.com–that sprang up in the days following the U.S. Internet giant’s announcement that it might withdraw from the Chinese market.
The sites, and the savvy Chinese Web users behind them, have garnered a lot of attention from domestic and foreign media, which isn’t necessarily a plus.
Google has sent a “cease-and-desist” letter to the folks behind the shanzhai-style Goojje site, asking them to stop copying Google’s trademarked logo, said a Google spokeswoman, and the company may choose to take legal action if they do not comply.
Goojje appears to be defiant. A page-one story in the state-run Global Times this week reported that the site’s founder refused to bow to pressure from the Internet giant, asserting that Chinese Internet users can clearly see the differences between the two sites.
