Just as settlement of the Google copyright lawsuit seems to be coming to a head as  the judge reviews the voluminous briefs, another body of aggrieved copyright owners has staked a legal claim.  These are photographers and graphic artists whose illustrations, they claim, are not adequately provided for in the case before Judge Denny Chen.

It seems that some publishers permitted Google to include illustrated books in Google’s search program, but the photographers and artists who provided the illustrations say their interests have not been protected.

“Google’s settlement with authors and publishers largely excluded photographs and other visual works,” writes Miguel Helft in the New York Times. “Legal experts said it was not unexpected that Google would face claims from groups that were not part of the original case and are not covered by it.”

“We are seeking justice and fair compensation for visual artists whose work appears in the 12 million books and other publications Google has illegally scanned to date,” the Times article quotes the  general counsel for the American Society of Media Photographers.

We’ll be monitoring this development to see whether Judge Chen will consider folding these new claims into the existing case or rule that they must be pressed in a new and separate court action.

Read details in Visual Artists to Sue Google Over Vast Library Project

And for in-depth coverage of the author and publisher lawsuit against Google and the proposed settlement, you can click here.

Richard Curtis

Every Blogger owes a debt of gratitude to newspapers and magazines. This posting relies on original research and reporting performed by the New York Times.