📰 New article from TorrentFreak
Google Uses Cox Ruling to Kill Last Copyright Claim in Textbook Piracy Lawsuit
Google is playing the “Supreme Court card” to dodge textbook piracy claims.
Remember that massive lawsuit from last June? A group of heavy-hitting publishers (think McGraw Hill and Elsevier) sued Google, claiming the search giant’s Shopping ads were basically a billboard for pirate sellers peddling stolen textbooks.
Well, Google is now trying to pull the rug out from under the remaining copyright claim. Their secret weapon? A recent Supreme Court ruling in Cox Communications v. Sony Music.
Before this ruling, publishers could argue that Google was liable simply because it “contributed” to the infringement by hosting the ads. But the Supreme Court just tightened the leash. Now, to be held liable for contributory infringement, you have to prove Google actually intended for the service to be used for piracy—either by actively inducing it or by running a platform designed specifically for stealing.
Google’s argument is pretty blunt: “We aren’t a pirate site, and we aren’t actively recruiting thieves.”
If the judge agrees, the copyright claim dies. However, there’s one more round left in this fight: a trademark infringement claim regarding unauthorized textbook covers that Google hasn’t quite managed to shake just yet. Stay tuned.