Google Loses Copyright Case

Although the case was adjudicated in Belgium, the implications could be felt worldwide.

From AdAge.com:

Google has lost a copyright lawsuit in Belgium brought on by a group of newspapers. The case was decided in favor of copyright protection group Copiepresse, composed of 17 mostly French-language newspapers.

The newspapers complained that Google breached copyrights by publishing headlines and links to news stories without permission. They also claimed Google's cached links allowed searchers to find and read past articles that were no longer available for free online. Google has been ordered to pay a retroactive fine for the days it used the content; the company said it will appeal the decision.

Remaining unresolved is the question of whether the linking Google does can be considered fair use. Consequently, expect to hear more on the issue in the future.