Call it kismet: I had just finished writing this lengthy piece about click fraud, and – as if the e-tail gods were listening – Google settled its click fraud case, shelling out $90 million to do so. The mighty search engine was brought low by a small gift shop in Arkansas, which alleged that Google and several other engines knowingly overcharged for pay-per-click advertising. The fact that Google and crew agreed to pay $90 million rather than let the case go to trial only proves how much the search giants are raking in with PPC.