Google apologized after complaints surfaced that data for its new Internet tool for inputing Chinese characters came from Chinese rival Sohu, the Wall Street Journal reported. The company's new Pinyin Input Method Editor tool helps users input characters in Pinyin and suggests possible characters after just a few letters. Sohu.com complained Sunday that the software appeared to copy material from its own Sogou search engine. The similarities were pointed out shortly after Google released the tool. "We are willing to face up to our mistake," Google said. The complaints and apology highlighted the intense competition for market share among internet search engine. A better Chinese input method could offer easier access to hundreds of millions of users.