French News Agency Sues Google News

n1ywb writes "CNN and others are reporting that 'News agency Agence France Presse has sued Google Inc., alleging the Web search leader includes AFP's photos, news headlines and stories on its news site without permission. The French news service is seeking damages of at least $17.5 million and an order barring Google News from displaying AFP photographs, news headlines or story leads, according to the suit filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.' This means they're suing in America this time, not France, which means Google might actually care if they lose."

Comments

Napoleonic Code

[putko]

Continental Europe has a legal code derived from the Napoleonic code.

It is particularly irrational and inflexible, and nowhere near as abstract as English Common Law.

E.g. people in Continental Europe need to carry ID papers with them when in public. Cops can stop you and interrogate you -- because. The law says you are free, but you better carry ID. And watch your mouth (you might break the law).

Thanks Napoleon!

So it is entirely "reasonable", to the mind of a Continental European, that a respectable media company like AFP can sue to stop some upstart from doing something novel and innovative, just because technology allows it -- the law is inherently pro-status quo.

In Germany, a British retailer dared to have a sale. This was deemed illegal -- the state argued (on behalf of the German retailers) that the temporary nature of the sale would COMPEL Germans to buy more stuff. Really it was just that German retailers can't compete with Anglo-retailer Kung Fu, and the state was happy to do their bidding, with the result that the German consumer lost out.