"Google benefits from some copyright infringement in the sense that it means they're a better default search engine, since some fraction of queries are for copyright-violating content."
What? Google doesn't benefit from copyright infringement if it goes out of its way to make infringing material difficult to find.
Google doesn't index infringing material because some people search for that, and returning them the results they're looking for is good for Google's bottom line. Rather, Google indexes infringing material because infringing material is out there, and Google indexes everything, because that is easier than not indexing everything ( see also: http://ansuz.sooke.bc.ca/lawpoli/colour/2004061001.php ), and returning the best matches it can is what it does.
What? Google doesn't benefit from copyright infringement if it goes out of its way to make infringing material difficult to find.
Google doesn't index infringing material because some people search for that, and returning them the results they're looking for is good for Google's bottom line. Rather, Google indexes infringing material because infringing material is out there, and Google indexes everything, because that is easier than not indexing everything ( see also: http://ansuz.sooke.bc.ca/lawpoli/colour/2004061001.php ), and returning the best matches it can is what it does.