[A2k] Belgium court backs decision against Google

[Manon Ress]

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http://www.edri.org/edrigram

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            EDRI-gram

biweekly newsletter about digital civil rights in Europe

     Number 5.3, 14 February 2007


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6. Belgium court backs decision against Google
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In the case brought by Copiepresse, a trade group representing 17
Belgium
newspapers, against Google for publishing links to newspaper articles
without permission, the Brussels Tribunal upheld its previous
decision and
ruled that Google violated the copyright law.

Google was ordered to remove Belgian newspaper content from its search
engine results. The search engine is no longer allowed to refer to
articles,
pictures or drawings of Copiepress members without previous
agreements that
are to be negociated, non-compliance being fined by 25 000 Euros per
day.

The ruling also says that  any other copyright holder could get in touch
with Google and notify its copyright infringement. In this case
Google has
to remove the content within 24 hours or pay a 1 000 euros a day fine.

Google will appeal the judgment as it considers that making reference
to a
page is no violation of the law and is actually in favour of the Belgian
newspapers by sending Internet users to their websites.

"Search tools such as Google Web Search and Google News are of real
benefit
to publishers because they drive valuable traffic to their websites and
connect them to a wider global audience," said the Google spokeswoman.

Some Belgian journalists have also considered that the court ruling will
lead to newspapers loosing readers as the traditional print
newspapers are
in decline.

"We want more readers, not less readers. Belgian newspapers will not
make
the internet work by trying to stand against the tide of global change,"
said a journalist.

The Belgium press plays at who gains looses with Google (Only in
French13.02.2007)
http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/
0,1-0@2-651865,36-866673@51-837044,0.html

Google must respect copyright (Only in French 13.02.2007)
http://www.rtbf.be/info/societe/ARTICLE_070337

Google to pay =A32.4m over 'copyright breach' (13.02.2007)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=3D/news/2007/02/13/
wgoogle113.xml

Google will appeal Copiepresse decision (13.02.2007)
http://www.out-law.com/page-7758

Belgian Court Decision (13.02.2007)
http://www.copiepresse.be/copiepresse_google.pdf

EDRI-gram : Belgium says no to Google News (26.09.2006)
http://www.edri.org/edrigram/number4.18/google_be


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Manon Anne Ress
manon.ress@keionline.org,
www.cptech.org

Consumer Project on Technology
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Tel: +41 22 791 6727

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