Copyright Suit Against Tumblr May Affect All Photo Sharing Sites
Back in 2006, a pornography publishing company named Perfect 10 attempted to sue Google over copyright infringement, claiming that the thumbnails displayed on Google’s image search did not fall under “fair use.” Ultimately, the Supreme Court wouldn’t even hear the case, allowing the ruling that thumbnails are fair use to stand and handing Perfect 10 yet another loss (they’ve sustained many in this area).
A trial date hasn’t been set yet, nor has Tumblr responded in any form or fashion regarding the case, but this is one that everybody should follow closely — especially since Tumblr could drag users into the fray very easily. Back in 2006 Google had a strong case for why its thumbnails were fair use, but Tumblr won’t have it nearly as easy.
Image credit: Tumblr Photos by COG LOG LAB.