Photogs Sue Google, Charging Copyright Infringement

The American Society of Media Photographers, a photographers' trade association, filed a class action copyright infringement lawsuit against Google today.

The ASMP charges that the search engine failed to obtain legal authorization from the group's member photographers before scanning, reproducing, and storing their work as part of Google's Library Project.

The federal court in the existing copyright infringement lawsuit filed by authors against Google denied ASMP's request to join their still pending class action over the Google Library Project.

According to the plaintiffs' lead attorney James McGuire from Mishcon de Reya New York LLP, "this case is about fairness and compensation."

McGuire argued that "it's only right that if someone uses something you create, you should be paid for it."

A Google spokesperson issued a flat denial of allegations raised by the suit, telling Reuters that the company is "confident that Google Books is fully compliant with international copyright law."

• • Google sued by visual artists over book scanning, Reuters (Apr. 7, 2010)
  • Photographers File Class Action Against Google, Press Release, American Society of Media Photographers (Apr. 7, 2010)
  • Mishcon de Reya New York LLP Files Class Action Suit Against Google Inc., Press Release, Mishcon de Reya New York LLP (Apr. 7, 2010)
  • Mischon de Reya New York, LLP, Plaintiffs' Lead Law Firm.
  • Google Books Library Project
  • Copyright Lawyers