Google's "Don't Be Evil" ethic appears to be paying off.

Unlike many of its competitors, Google never took advantage of the easy money to be had in serving up adware, spyware, and pop-ups. Instead, Google followed their long-term strategy to build trust and relevance and didn't cash in on questionable practices.

New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has been an attack dog going after big-time corporate criminals and other lowlife.

Now he's taken on the scourge of adware and spyware by suing Intermix Media. This has chopped Intermix's stock price, and thrown attention to the nefarious practices of the underbelly of internet advertising.

This can only be good news for Google, which has fought tirelessly for years against invasive and deceptive internet advertising. When Microsoft couldn't stop pop-ups in their own browser, Google released a free pop-up blocker. When phishers sent spam emails impersonating banks, Google was one of the first to implement phishing prevention in its Gmail email application. And Google has proposed a simple and persuasive set of software principles to guard against deceptive practices.

Spitzer isn't stopping with Intermix, and is considering going after larger, more reputable companies like Yahoo/Overture, Ask Jeeves, and others who may be connected with the adware plague. Since Google has always been pristine and hasn't compromised on this front, they haven't been mentioned along with their competitors by Spitzer's office. From Bambi Francisco's article on MarketWatch:

"A lot of advertisers are using spyware companies," said Assistant Attorney General Justin Brookman, who's handling the case for Spitzer's Internet Bureau. "Intermix is the only company sued at this point," said Brookman. Translation: Spitzer's team isn't stopping with Intermix...

"We're not ruling out in the future going after advertisers, or Overture," said Brookman. Yahoo's Overture accounted for some 10% of Intermix's revenue, said Brookman.

This can only hurt Google's competitors, burnish Google's brand and reputation, throw more focus on Google's strengths, and encourage advertisers to direct more online ad dollars to reputable vehicles -- all to Google's benefit.

The "Don't Be Evil" ethic may seem to put a company at a disadvantage, as it forgoes revenues in the short term. But years of consistent, ethical execution sure seem to be paying off for Google now.