Google Drops Aboriginal Flag from Doodle Winner Due To Copyright

Jan 28, 2010 - 9:18 am 4 — by
Filed Under Misc Google

Google ran a Doodle4Google competition in Australia and Jessie won with this Doodle:

Aboriginal Flag Doodle Issue

When they posted the Doodle on the Google.com.au web site, it was missing the Aboriginal Flag. Here is a picture:

Google doodles Aboriginal flag

I mentioned this in passing in Google's Kuwait Doodle mistake. But now, Google came to the Google Web Search Help forums explaining the issue. Jaime from Google said:

Thanks for voicing your concern here in the forum. Just to make sure everyone is aware of what took place I wanted to explain here that due to the Aboriginal Flag having copyright, we requested permission from the Aboriginal Copyright owners to display the original doodle with the flag on the Google homepage. They declined the permission and as such, in consultation with Jessie, we had to gently alter the doodle so we could proudly display her wonderful artwork - of which we are very proud.

It is a shame Google was unable to get rights to show the flag there. But Jessie seemed like a good sport!

Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.

 

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