Report: Miss. AG again hounding Google over illegal, counterfeit goods sales

JACKSON, Miss. (Legal Newsline) -- Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood is after Google again, saying he wants the Internet search giant to do more to stop people from buying illegal drugs, stolen music, movies, software and video games.

According to The Associated Press, Hood sent a letter to Google's general counsel, Kent Walker, late last month. In it, the attorney general says the company claims, falsely, that making the necessary changes are impossible.

"Although Google claims to be interested in cooperating with state attorneys general, it is unwilling to take basic actions to make the Internet safe from unlawful and predatory conduct, and it has refuse to modify its own behavior that facilitates and profits from unlawful conduct," Hood wrote, the AP reported.

The attorney general asked the company to meet with the National Association of Attorneys General in New Orleans last week. It did not.

Earlier this year, Hood, along with Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and Hawaii Attorney General David Louie, called for Google to stop assisting in the sale of prescription drugs without a prescription and ignoring reports of rogue pirate websites selling stolen goods.

Hood, who is heading up the group of attorneys general who take issue with Google's search algorithm, then asked the company to address their concerns in June.

He even sent a letter to Google Chief Executive Officer Larry Page, inviting him to NAAG's annual summer meeting, held in Boston that month.

Hood contends the company is "aiding and abetting criminal activity" and putting consumers at risk.

The attorney general, who hasn't ruled out suing Google, sent a copy of his newest letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, the AP reported. He wants the U.S. Department of Justice to step in.

From Legal Newsline: Reach Jessica Karmasek by email at jessica@legalnewsline.com.