Google Is Sued by Digital Envoy

Digital Envoy Inc. sued Google Inc. for misappropriation of trade secrets and unfair business practices, accusing the Mountain View, Calif.-based search provider of improperly using a technology designed to deliver search results to users based on their location.

Timothy Kratz, a lawyer for Norcross, Ga.-based Digital Envoy, said its licensing deal allowed Google to use the "geographically targeted" technology only for regular search results on its own website.

But the suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, alleges that Google used Digital's system to broaden its AdSense program, which places advertisements on the pages of such clients as ABC.com.

A Google spokesman declined to comment.

-- Chris Gaither