AfterDawn: News

Google sued by photographers

The American Society of Media Photographers, the Graphic Artists Guild, the Picture Archive Council of America, the North American Nature Photography Association, and the Professional Photographers of America have all joined together to sue Google over copyright infringement, claiming that the search giant has scanned millions of books and magazines that include copyrighted images, then displaying those images without consent.

The suit was filed in the same court where Google's long standing Book Search settlement is being considered. In that case, Google agreed to pay a $125 million settlement to compensate the rights holders.



Adds ASMP General Counsel Victor Perlman: "We are seeking justice and fair compensation for visual artists whose work appears in the twelve million books and other publications Google has illegally scanned to date. In doing so, we are giving voice to thousands of disenfranchised creators of visual artworks whose rights we hope to enforce through this class action."

Google responded, via eweek: "We are confident that Google Books is fully compliant with U.S. and international copyright law."

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 8 Apr 2010 0:04

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• 9 comments

• TEC (unverified)

  AWESOME, Another RETARDED frivolous lawsuit by someone claiming to represent all of these artists. Well if they were really artists they should be happy just being able to show up in Google search. I cant stand stupid lawsuits like this. I am a huge Google fan because they do sooo much for artists and businesses alike. Everyone just seems to be looking for a quick buck these days.

  8.4.2010 00:25 #1

• pat (unverified)

  Originally posted by TEC: AWESOME, Another RETARDED frivolous lawsuit by someone claiming to represent all of these artists. Well if they were really artists they should be happy just being able to show up in Google search. I cant stand stupid lawsuits like this. I am a huge Google fan because they do sooo much for artists and businesses alike. Everyone just seems to be looking for a quick buck these days. I agree. I have been reading "Angle of Repose" by Stegner and want to see prints by Mary Halleck Foote but cannot because greedy pustules are keeping the biggest library in the universe locked up with lawsuits. Show some compassion. Release the knowledge of the world to the people and be content with your contribution.

  8.4.2010 01:00 #2

• EvilTwin (unverified)

  "American Society of Media Photographers, the Graphic Artists Guild, the Picture Archive Council of America, the North American Nature Photography Association, and the Professional Photographers of America" I had to google these names cuz it's the first time i hear about them. Oh, there, I HAD TO GOOGLE that since none of those names meant anything to me. Those guys should be thankful they show up on google. What a bunch of retards...

  8.4.2010 01:51 #3

• DXR88

  its the Google bots that pull this information off other websites. Google doesn't host any thing save for a cache of every major site
  

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  8.4.2010 02:39 #4

• Jon OBrien (unverified)

  I don't get it... aren't photographers paid through the contacted deals they sign with the publishers, whom have already sued Google and have a settlement temporarily in place. Shouldn't they be going to the publisher to collect their royalties or whatever is specified in their contract?

  8.4.2010 11:43 #5

• ZippyDSM

  Welcome to the modern age were freedom and liberty are sold off to protect copy right, zeig heil!!zeig heil!!
  

  Until lobbying is a hanging offense I choose anarchy!
  Ah modern gaming its like modern film only the watering down of fiction and characters is replaced with shallow and watered down mechanics, gimmicks and shiny-er "people".
  http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/

  8.4.2010 15:56 #6

• Gnawnivek

  This is stupid, really stupid... If the world can't see your arts, what's the point?
  
  

  Peace!

  9.4.2010 20:51 #7

• WierdName

  Originally posted by ZippyDSM: Welcome to the modern age were freedom and liberty are sold off to protect copy right, zeig heil!!zeig heil!! Actually, das ist 'sieg heil,' nicht 'zeig heil.'
  
  What's stupid here though, is that it's not like people at Google are in a back room scanning books into a computer. The books are crawled by Google's bots. Also, have you tried to read a full book on Google?! It's practically impossible. Sure you get bits and pieces, but you don't get the full book. It's usually at most a single chapter from the entire book. This just seems like another band of peasants jumping on the possibility of getting some wealth, deserved or not. I can understand if your photo showing up without getting to charge a ticket price, but Google isn't the one to be suing here. The sites that host it and publishers that allow pieces of books to be posted are the ones you guys are after... But they're not the ones with the money.
  

  Doesnt expecting the unexpected make the unexpected expected and therefore mean youre expecting the expected which was the unexpected until you expected it?
  "Opinions are immunities to being told were wrong." - Relient K

  9.4.2010 21:31 #8

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by WierdName: Originally posted by ZippyDSM: Welcome to the modern age were freedom and liberty are sold off to protect copy right, zeig heil!!zeig heil!! Actually, das ist 'sieg heil,' nicht 'zeig heil.'
  
  What's stupid here though, is that it's not like people at Google are in a back room scanning books into a computer. The books are crawled by Google's bots. Also, have you tried to read a full book on Google?! It's practically impossible. Sure you get bits and pieces, but you don't get the full book. It's usually at most a single chapter from the entire book. This just seems like another band of peasants jumping on the possibility of getting some wealth, deserved or not. I can understand if your photo showing up without getting to charge a ticket price, but Google isn't the one to be suing here. The sites that host it and publishers that allow pieces of books to be posted are the ones you guys are after... But they're not the ones with the money.
  Well copy right owners want to protect every instance of every bit of every copy right they can, and in order to do that public rights and freedoms have to go.
  
  PS:Zippy uses his own spelling and grammar FTW :P
  
  

  Until lobbying is a hanging offense I choose anarchy!
  Ah modern gaming its like modern film only the watering down of fiction and characters is replaced with shallow and watered down mechanics, gimmicks and shiny-er "people".
  http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/

  9.4.2010 21:59 #9