Google has been ordered to pay $255k damages to a Melbourne man after defaming him during its search results.
The internet search engine must compensate Milorad Trkulja after he successfully sued the company over images placing him next to a notorious underworld crime figure during search results.
Trkulja was also linked to Melbourne Crime website, now defunct, with photos published under his identity.
After first requesting Google to remove the images and website link in 2009, Trkulja took his case to the Supreme Court were a six-person jury ruled in his favour last month.
Upon typing Trkulja's name into Google's database, he appeared in photos alongside well-known criminal Tony Mokbel.
But the multinational firm refused to remove the content from search results which ultimately took the case to court, and resulted in Trkulja's victory.
Lawyers representing Google argued the company was simply indexing the link to the website and images in its results and was not the publisher of the material.
But the company's act of innocence did not work with jurors who found Google guilty of not acting after Trkulja's request nearly four years ago.
The damages represents the second victory this year for Trkulja, who successfully sued Yahoo for $287k damages over the same case.
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