A businessman from Brisbane sues tech giant Google for defamation claims. Jarrod Sierocki, 31, seeks to claim $2.6 million worth of damages for having his reputation destroyed online.

Mr Sierocki also wants a court order for Google to remove specific search results attacking his character in online fora. He is the first person in Queensland to file a case against Google for defamation and one of the many attempts to hold the search giant accountable for its influence on search results and what is chooses to highlight to readers.

The new case comes after the libel suit in Victroria which ordered Google to pay $200,000 worth of damages because of search results linking a drug lord to a businessman in Melbourne.

Mr Sierocki sent emails to Google five times to complain about the damaging search results and the online slurs against him. He said the defamation affected his professional status and income from business Insolvency Guardian. The case is filed in the Brisbane Supreme Court.

Searching his name on Google will reveal links to posts with claiming Mr Sierocki is a sociopath and fraud. Top search result posts also claim he has scammed clients. One post in an online forum falsely accused him of being a forensic accountant and has connections with the Australian Taxation Office.

Mr Sierocki denied all allegations from the Web sites. The comments about his reputation were posted in Web sites, including the Ripoff Report which does not moderate comments made on the site.

International and interstate courts have found Google to be liable because it publishes defamatory material. Mr Sierocki's lawyers have yet to receive word from Google concerning its defence. Mr Sierocki's original damage claim was $250,000, but he later on increased it to $2.6 million to pursue summary judgment.

In another separate lawsuit, Mr Sierocki files a case against Paul Kierck who is a search engine expert. Mr Kierck once served as co-director for Insolvency Guardian. Mr Kierck is sued for his defamatory remarks posted in Web sites and elsewhere.

Other cases against Google

Milorad Trkulja was granted $200,000 damages by the Melbourne Supreme Court last November after Google failed to remove images of him beside a notorious drug dealer. Mr Trkulja is no way associated with the drug lord.

This type of lawsuit is something Google is familiar with because the company was previously sued in Queensland for failing to prevent online slurs.

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