News Agency Sues Google, Testing Fair Use

Agence France-Presse (AFP), a French news organization, is suing Google for posting pictures and details of news stories found on the web, along with links to the stories. The outcome of this case will affect everyone from Google to ATSNN to Matt Drudge. AFP argues that a picture and the details of the story constitute intellectual property. It is expected that Google will argue that the facts of the story cannot be copyrighted and that the facts can be reworded so as to not infringe on copyright laws. A court has already ruled that a thumbnail picture can be used under the "fair use" law, but even that ruling is at stake.



Many news agencies consider that Google's service, among others, helps them by bringing readers to their sites. AFP, who disagrees, actually has a code that foils search engines, but AFP's subscribers often submit the stories to beef up their own hits.

Certainly, any suit that challenges "fair use" will have an impact on everyone who uses the internet or even goes to school and does research for term papers. We should keep an eye on these developments and hope that the courts rule in favor of the public.

Related News Links:
abcnews.go.com


[edit on 05/3/23 by GradyPhilpott]

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott
...but AFP's subscribers often submit the stories to beef up their own hits.

Ahhh....there's the crux of the story!

I assume these are paid subscribers?

Set the news free AFP! ...set it free!!!

edit:

From a corporate security (protecting intellectual property and trade secrets) point of view the internet and e-mail is recognised and considered a PUBLIC broadcast medium. Protecting intellectual property in such an environment is impossible.

[edit on 3/22/2005 by Gools]

Originally posted by Gools

From a corporate security (protecting intellectual property and trade secrets) point of view the internet and e-mail is recognised and considered a PUBLIC broadcast medium. Protecting intellectual property in such an environment is impossible.

But they will try - and keep trying. ...Information is recognized as the most valuable trade 'commodity' in the world today, and receives special attention in trade agreements. It was only recently defined as a commodity (1989, CAFTA), and the boys want to tighten the reins, not loosen them.

...This ties in with planned "Internet controls" - and the strategy is not better 'Carnivores' or other software - but rather to (re)create "economic barriers."


Edit - PS - Great find Grady.

[edit on 22-3-2005 by soficrow]

I think if I were Google I would write a little algorithm to make them become number 1,599,499 of 1,599,500 sites