Google executives could face a year in jail

Google chief legal officer David Drummund is among the executives on trial in Italy

Just a day after Google got into legal hot water in Germany, it emerged that four of the firm's executives standing trial in Italy could face a year's prison sentence following charges of defamation and failure to exercise control over personal data.

Defence lawyer Giuseppe Bana reportedly said that prosecutors had asked Judge Oscar Magni for one-year sentences, after allowing a clip to be posted on Google Video in Italy showing a boy with Down's Syndrome being bullied by four classmates.

European Union legislation states that internet service providers (ISPs) are not responsible for monitoring third-party content on their sites, but must remove such content if they receive complaints.

Google removed the video within 24 hours of receiving two complaints, but Italian prosecutors have argued that the search company is an internet content provider, rather than an ISP, and is therefore in breach of the same Italian law that regulates newspaper and television publishers.

The case follows a two-year investigation by Italian authorities. The maximum jail sentence for such charges is three years if convicted.

The Google executives involved are chief legal officer David Drummund, global privacy counsel Peter Fleischer, former chief financial officer George Reyes and former Google Video European director Arvind Desikan.