Google, the big Search Engine Giant has lost a case filed by Belgian newspapers. The newspaper companies in Belgium had demanded that Google should remove headlines and links to the articles posted on their Google News web service and Google cannot use them without their permissions. Well the result of this ruling can be devastating as for the websites and in the near future if it is not dismissed on further appealing it will result in a precedent for how Web services can use copyrighted material which is hosted on other web sites. Google has acclaimed that its Google News service are “entirely legal†and they are ready re-appeal. The Brussels Court of First Instance said in the ruling that the search engine company could not rely on exemptions, such as claiming “fair useâ€. This is because they review press articles when it displays headlines, a few lines of text, photos and links to the original page. Well here is the part of the ruling which is “Google is reproducing and publishing works protected by copyright. Google cannot call on any exceptions set out by law relating to copyright or similar rights.†Yoram Elkaim, spokesperson of legal counsel for Google News responded in a statement: “This ruling does not mean that everywhere else or every other judge in any other country would rule in the same, even in Belgium. There are conflicting rulings on those issues which are fairly new and complicated.†@ technology-post.blogspot.com
Belgium is only one country and the impact I think will be minimal for G if at all, as for the Belgium websites time will decide what the difference will be