internetheaven - 11:25 pm on Apr 5, 2005 (gmt 0)

1) Why file "quietly"?

Because if they make a big deal out of it then Google will have to fight it with everything they've got to avoid future similar lawsuits. If the lawsuit is never heard of then Google may just settle out of court to get a quick resolution (and save a shed load of money).

The only analogy that I can think of is with the Banks profiting from Credit Card fraud.

Just like the "car theft" analogy this one is not similar either. You know if someone else is using your card without your permission - you have no way of knowing whether a click is genuine or not so you're stuck with "taking Google's word for it".