The problem isn't Amazon retailer not carrying the Chromecast, it's Amazon marketplace refusing to let any retailers carry the Chromecast. A lot uglier IMHO

Why? Search is a service provided by a company trying to make money, just as a retailer.

Just because it's an invaluable service now core to using the internet, doesn't make it a public utility.

Here's the actual difference:

If Google started blocking Amazon search results there would be an upoar.

Amazon has blocked selling certain Google items, and there is barely a whimper.

Here's the other difference: When GOogle shows Amazon search results, and users go through those results to make an Amazon purchase, Google gets a cut. That's how e-commerce works on the internet.

> Why? Search is a service provided by a company trying to make money, just as a retailer.

I don't have any horses in this race, so I am not trying to take anybody's side, but since you ask, here is my opinion:

A retailer is by default selecting what items to sell.

A search engine is by default crawling everything.

So one is kind of opt-in and the other opt-out.

That's what a search engine should be. Google has strayed far away from that already.

A search engine can simply not crawl Amazon's sites.