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Couple sues Goog over street level shots

Brinke Guthrie [PersonRank 10]

Friday, April 4, 2008
16 years ago5,153 views

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/04/04/financial/f131545D52.DTL&tsp=1

TOMHTML [PersonRank 10]

16 years ago #

I love valleywag article. These guys are excellents.
http://valleywag.com/376276/couple-sues-google-over-street-view-pics-of-their-house

Jack Hynes [PersonRank 6]

16 years ago #

http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2008/04/01/woody-allen-sues-american-apparel-for-misappropriation/?mod=WSJBlog

This a hilarious story.

Colin Colehour [PersonRank 10]

16 years ago #

Its on TechCrunch now: http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/04/04/google-damages-property-values/

The images are currently removed for their address. Why do people feel they have to sue large corporations instead of trying to talk to the company first about making changes? There are ways of getting content removed from just about all of Google's services.

Ben Allen [PersonRank 10]

16 years ago #

I don't think normal people look that far into personal space. It's not really invading anything but the front of the house.

TOMHTML [PersonRank 10]

16 years ago #

Anyway, it is prohibited. I've took a look at French laws, and it is written that if you take a picture of a house, building, monument for a professional use, you have to ask owner authorization first.

PierreS [PersonRank 10]

16 years ago #

[put at-character here]TOMHTML

PagesJaunes.fr has done this, and I guess they didn't ask for permission

TOMHTML [PersonRank 10]

16 years ago #

They have exactly the same behavior than Google: take picture, then you have to ask for their removal.
On pagesjaunes.fr :
"Conformément aux dispositions de la loi du 6 janvier 1978, modifiée par la loi du 6 août 2004, tout résident, locataire ou propriétaire, lorsqu'il est seul occupant d'un immeuble ou d'une maison ainsi que l'ensemble des copropriétaires d'un immeuble peuvent demander la suppression dans le site pagesjaunes.fr de la photographie de cet immeuble ou maison" ;-)

PierreS [PersonRank 10]

16 years ago #

So we may definitely have Google Streets in France. I guess a part of the political class would take advantage of this to make some noise.

What saddens me is that Google is now seen as the big borg nowadays while Microsoft's image is improving to that Bill Gates Foundation .

Anyway.. :-(

beussery [PersonRank 10]

16 years ago #

I think you might be missing the issue:

THE ISSUE, is that these images were taken from a location marked as "private road".

beussery [PersonRank 10]

16 years ago #

[put at-character here]PierreS & TOMHTML
I'm not sure French law applies as this suit is in the US.

PierreS [PersonRank 10]

16 years ago #

[put at-character here]beussery
Of course, we're just discussing it although it's a bit OT :-)

Juha-Matti Laurio [PersonRank 10]

16 years ago #

[ Moved from "Couple says Google 'Street View' pictures violated privacy"]

"A western Pennsylvania couple sued Google Inc., saying pictures of their home that appear on the Web site's "Street View" feature violated their privacy, devalued their property and caused them mental suffering."

And the main point is that

"The Borings say the images of their home on the Google site had to be taken from their long driveway, labeled "Private Road," and that violated their privacy."

Link:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/n/a/2008/04/04/financial/f131545D52.DTL&type=printable

Juha-Matti Laurio [PersonRank 10]

16 years ago #

Interesting, the forum software did not generated a warning about duplicate...

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