kaled - 11:13 am on Mar 23, 2004 (gmt 0)

These are public records that the public, including search engines, have a right to. If they are taken down or blocked, does your client actually want to be in the middle of that scandal? And there will be a scandal on that one.

Search engines!= public

Why would there be a scandal? The worst case scenario is a full-blown public debate but I'm talking about an entirely legal and open request to the court so a scandal it would not be. Personally, I think the court would say no, but I also think that there is a sufficient chance they would say yes to make it a reasonable course of action.

Court records are there so that the public may discover information to which they are legally entitled. They do not exist to malign innocent companies. If court records are showing up on search engines and damaging the business or good name of that company then it is entirely reasonable for a company to petition the court to remedy the situation. There is nothing scandalous in this. If the company had been found guilty, the arguments are more complex, but having been found innocent, I believe the court should give serious consideration to such a request.

Kaled.

PS A good PR company should be able to take advantage of any publicity that did accrue.