Photographers sue Google over image scans

Google has run into yet more bother with its book scanning project

The American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) is to sue Google for copyright infringement over images included in the Google Books search service, according to a Reuters report.

Google is in the process of scanning millions of books, but does not necessarily obtain permission from copyright holders to do so.

The search firm has already been sued by the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers over the use of copyrighted text.

However, the ASMP is seeking legal redress over the use of images by photographers and visual artists who have not received any compensation from Google.

"This case is about fairness and compensation," said James McGuire, a partner at law firm Mishcon de Reya which is representing the ASMP.

The lawsuit is the culmination of the ASMP's battle with Google since last year. Victor Perlman, general counsel and managing director of the ASMP, said in a statement released in 2009 that artists have a right to defend their works.

"The vast majority of photographers and graphic artists, whose works have been and continue to be digitised by Google without authorisation, and who have been members of the plaintiffs' class since June 2006, would neither receive compensation for past infringement nor any benefit going forward," he said.