A group of Chinese lawyers are seeking to file a mass complaint against search engine giant Baidu over alleged unfair competition practices.
According to the Financial Times, the group have rounded up 50 companies willing to seek legal action against Baidu and will file the complaint once the number reaches 100.
The group is being led by lawyer Li Changqing from law firm George Wu & Partners. Li had previously filed a complaint against the search engine company in September on behalf of Hebei-based medical information site Qmyyw.com, which had signed a competitive ranking services deal earlier this year with Baidu, but saw a decline in inbound visits after lowering its payments.
In the move, plaintiffs will seek different counts against Baidu, including brand infringement, alleged fraud and unfair competition.
Baidu, whose search results appear through auctioning keywords, has been criticised by Chinese media for allegedly allowing unlicensed medical product companies to purchase higher rankings.