Google legal department letter, AUG 2006

We write you in the name of Google Inc. 1600 Amphitheatre Parway, Mountain View, California. Google was informed about your Project GWEI- Google Will Eat Itself. On your web-site there is the following information:

„Now we have setup a vast amount of such Adsense accounts for our hidden Web-Sites. Each time someone visits a web-site within our network of sites he /she triggers a series of robots. For each click we recieve a micropaiment from Google.“

We mean that the text can only be understood that you open up or have other people open up Adsense accounts with Google. It is obviously the intention that you or others click on the Adsense pages and receive paiments for this. For doing this, you also state that you are using robots. We may inform you that this is against Googles Adsense policy. It is strictly forbidden to use automated tools to generate clicks.

This policy is not only to protect Google but tho protect the advertisers. They can experience direct losses by your activites. (Keyword: GWEI eats Advertisers). We dont have to mention the criminal law implications this project might have for you. We are very well aware that this is an art project. But this does not free you of the reglementations of our policy or the general law.

For this we have to mention the legal consequences this activity might have for you. Be asured that Google will use all legal means to prosecute such fraud. Usually this does not only imply the termination of your Adsense account but can also mean that you have to pay back your earned money and that we press charges so you have to pay reimboursement for the damages you caused.

With kindest regards

Dr. Arnd Haller
Legal Department