Google loses appeal against Copiepresse

A five year litigation battle between Google Inc. and Copiepresse has been settled in Brussels ruling in favour of the Belgian newspaper association.

In 2006 Copiepresse filed a lawsuit against Google Inc. claiming that Google’s actions were an infringement of copyright, harming local newspapers’ revenue and website traffic. Prior to the legal proceedings Google had been publishing the titles and opening sentences of many newspapers on the Google News website, including articles from two of Copiepresse’s local newspapers. A second suit was filed for compensation for the period in which Google News displayed the content.

In February 2007 the Brussels Court of First Instance ruled that Google had been violating Belgian copyright laws and ordered it to remove all images and links to the newspapers’ articles on the Google News website and cached search results. Google appealed the decision.

On 5 May this year, the Court of Appeals in Brussels upheld the 2007, ruling in favour of Copiepresse.

Click here to read an article on the case by Australian Copyright Council.

Item posted on 16 May 2011.