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Copyright Lawsuit Against Google Seeks Damages for Pictures and Art
Groups representing photographers and artists have accused Google of copyright infringement in a lawsuit that mirrors complaints made by book publishers and authors regarding Google’s attempt to create the world’s largest digital library.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, seeks up to $150,000 in damages for each of the tens of thousands of photographs, illustrations and graphic works that the copyright holders claimed were copied, stored and electronically displayed without their permission.
A settlement has been reached in the 5-year old lawsuit between Google and groups representing authors and publishers. However, a judge in Manhattan has yet to rule as to whether to accept the settlement. The U.S. of Department of Justice has stated that the settlement might violate antitrust laws.
The new lawsuit claims that Google’s plans to scan 174 million books and periodicals will diminish the value of pictures and art in the books, causing the photographers and artists to lose profits and opportunities, as well as damage their reputations.
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