I do wonder how unique web searches really are. It'd definitely take some time to achieve a critical mass but I swear most of the stuff I want to look up I could do with an index although sites come and go so the larger your index gets the more upkeep it costs.

I think the biggest issue is live news but I mean then just pay like 12 people to watch news/sports networks and you won't be that far behind. (Or just have an section of the index for live information and let users to go nfl/espn/oan/cnn).