Agence France-Presse and Google settle copyright dispute

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Agence France-Presse and Google settle copyright dispute

AFP drops $17.5 million lawsuit

encyclo

2:05 pm on Apr 7, 2007 (gmt 0)

From: CNET news.com [news.com.com]:

News agency Agence France-Presse has entered into a licensing deal with Google, ending the dispute between the two over AFP's articles appearing on Google News. (...) Paris-based AFP had sued Google in March 2005 for $17.5 million in damages over alleged copyright infringement on Google's news site, claiming that the search giant was posting headlines, photographs and news summaries without permission. With Friday's deal, AFP has agreed to drop the lawsuit.

"Google's use was not a fair use, but since all uses (of AFP content) are now covered by the new agreement, it's a moot point between AFP and Google," said Joshua Kaufman, a lawyer who represents AFP.

Webwork

2:29 pm on Apr 7, 2007 (gmt 0)

Google's use was not a fair use

Does anyone have access to the precise factual-legal argument underlying the above statement?

In other words, are any of the legal, court filed documents available/viewable online?

I'm sure they'd make an intersting read. Especially if there's an English language version. ;-/

hutcheson

5:01 pm on Apr 7, 2007 (gmt 0)

"Google's use was not a fair use"

SAID A LAWYER FOR THE OTHER PARTY.

There might, somewhere on earth, be a more biassed commentator. But I'm not sure I'd know how to find him.

Webwork

6:48 pm on Apr 7, 2007 (gmt 0)

Before we go unleashing the broadsides or broadswords against the lawyers let us not forget that it's often better to "leave it at that" - at what the lawyers say/said (in this case or any case) - than to have a jury or a judge say the same thing.

Credit goes to all parties - including the lawyers - for working out a settlement of a somewhat difficult issue.

hutcheson

8:47 pm on Apr 7, 2007 (gmt 0)

True, apparently there is a resolution. ALL the claims that anyone (including the lawyers) made, are no longer a barrier to this case, and never will be applicable to any other case.