Is a search tool liable for the consequences of its ranking methods?

Google Inc.'s methods for ranking Web sites are subject of a lawsuit. A company* accuses the search engine of ruining scores of Internet businesses that have been wrongfully banished from its index.
The complainant says its traffic plunged by 70%, and "alleges Google has engaged in anticompetitive behavior and misled the public by positioning its search engine as an objective source for finding Internet content" FindLaw).
Prof. Eric Goldman reviewed the complaint (and posted it on his blog), and is skeptical on its merits.

* If I cite the company and link to it, it may have an effect on its Google ranking!