Google Maps reveals that France is simply way too French

I've made it clear of my dislike for many of Google's actions. I've also stated plainly that I do not like Google's practice of funneling monopoly profits from its PC search business into other areas.

I do not like this to the point of asking for government inquiries and even injunctions.

But this French ruling is, I think, silly:

Paris’ commercial court has found the company is anti-competitive because it offers Google Maps for free.

The case was brought by French online mapping firm Bottin Cartographes, which charges for its maps.

Google is ordered to pay €500,000 in damages and interest plus a €15,000 fine, AFP reports.

It’s enough to make an American entrepreneur scratch his head in frustration. The court effectively ruled Google’s business model of supplying products for free, supported by advertising, is illegal. It’s the same model Google uses for most of its products.

But so dominant is Google now that it seemingly can’t help but get tripped up by anti-trust legislation, which naturally exists to prevent companies abusing dominant positions.

“We will appeal this decision,” Google France tells AFP. “We remain convinced that a free high-quality mapping tool is beneficial for both Internet users and websites. There remains competition in this sector for us, both in France and internationally.”

Ignore, if you can, the sily Google statements about benefits for the users, their oft-repeated and highly duplicitous nonsense. It's all about -- and always about -- capturing and selling more of your personal data, nothing else.

Nothing else.

This ruling, however, gets it all wrong. Even for France.

I am oppossed to Google's use of channeling monopoly profits into every facet and function of the global Internet for two reasons:

1. I don't want one company to have such complete control of the world wide web.
2. Google's actions directly kill innovation -- which really does benefit people.

Number 1 is my issue. You may not care. But I'd like to believe that number 2, killing innovation, is something we can all get behind. Groupon is/was innovative. So was Yelp. So was iOS. So was Facebook, Twitter, etc. Google has repeatedly taken its monopoly PC search profits to either buy up these companies or create a well-funded alternative to kill them off.

That is not good. I'm all for government involvement here.

But this ruling appears to be one that is attacking a business model. A business model is innovation. 

France got this one wrong. I'm sure they will reverse themselves soon enough.