Ex-publisher won't remove Google listing

[dncr]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA

I had a publishing contract a couple of years ago for a book I wrote. After going through some stuff with them that isn't relevant here, I terminated my contract with them and walked away with all rights to my book. I am now publishing it, but unfortunately when you google the name, the first listing that comes up on google is a press release the ex-publisher put out in 2008. I asked the press release site to remove it, and they said I had to ask the poster to remove it. I politely asked the publisher to remove it, and she very snottily refused. Do I have any legal rights here, since she's sort of using a name I have rights to? Or am I screwed because the posting is so old?

Thanks for your replies!

 

[FlyingRon]

Doesn't matter how recent the thing is, you've got no rights to have it removed period. Just because you had a falling out with the publisher doesn't give you the rights to go in and 1984-style remove all traces that the agreement ever existed.

 

[dncr]

Thanks. I'm not just asking her to take it down because I'm pissy. It's just because it's incorrect information that I don't want out there.

 

[You Are Guilty]

Thanks. I'm not just asking her to take it down because I'm pissy. It's just because it's incorrect information that I don't want out there.

Draft your own press release?

 

[dncr]

Draft your own press release?

I have press releases out there, along with other marketing. However, her post still comes up first. Even if I can optimize my website better to come up ahead of it (in the works today), I don't have that much control over other pages and hers will still come up on the first page.

I'm not foaming at the mouth over this...I just would prefer not to have outdated, incorrect information out there that people will see every single time they google my book. It also irritates me that she isn't professional enough to spend three minutes removing it. It's really very simple. However, if I have no recourse, so be it.

 

[You Are Guilty]

If we took all the wrong information off the internet, there would be about 3 websites left running. Run with the SEO on your release and don't lose sleep over it. You can't fight the tide.

 

[I_Got_Banned]

Not sure if this will work but give it a try: https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=sitemaps&passive=true&nui=1&continue=https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/removals?hl=en&followup=https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/removals?hl=en&ltmpl=urlremoval&hl=en

On that page you'll see:

We'll investigate and provide an update on the status of your request as soon as possible. Removals that are processed through this tool are excluded from Google search results for six months.​

 

[dncr]

Thank you!