In any case, if Bing is indeed copying Google's results, it is utterly unethical even if users are receiving accurate search results. As mentioned in the article, what Bing is doing is analogous to copying Google's "exam," which by any reasonable standard is wrong, even if a "proctor" didn't specifically state this rule.
Perhaps Google has patented a few of its search algorithm components.
Perhaps Google has patented a few of its search algorithm components.