A California-based pornographer says it is suing the world's most popular search engine, Google, for easing illegal access to its website.
Perfect 10, which offers pictures of "the world's most beautiful natural women", says Google's web search gives users free usernames and passwords.
It says Google also shows stolen Perfect 10 photos on other websites, enabling people to view without paying.
Google declined to comment, saying it had not seen the suit yet.
Harm to profits
"They're showing pictures from my magazine and my website for free, so there's no reason for anyone to buy my products," Perfect 10 president Norm Zada told Reuters news agency.
He said he was suing Google for an unspecified amount of damages for violating copyright and harming his ability to make profits.
The company, which filed the suit at the federal court in Los Angeles, charges a monthly fee of $25.50 for access to its website.
Google searches throw up thumbnails of images owned by Perfect 10, which Mr Nada said are posted without permission.
He said his company had sent nearly 30 formal requests to Google, asking it to remove the photos and password lists from its search results, but was dissatisfied with the company's response.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4035257.stm
Perfect 10, which offers pictures of "the world's most beautiful natural women", says Google's web search gives users free usernames and passwords.
It says Google also shows stolen Perfect 10 photos on other websites, enabling people to view without paying.
Google declined to comment, saying it had not seen the suit yet.
Harm to profits
"They're showing pictures from my magazine and my website for free, so there's no reason for anyone to buy my products," Perfect 10 president Norm Zada told Reuters news agency.
He said he was suing Google for an unspecified amount of damages for violating copyright and harming his ability to make profits.
The company, which filed the suit at the federal court in Los Angeles, charges a monthly fee of $25.50 for access to its website.
Google searches throw up thumbnails of images owned by Perfect 10, which Mr Nada said are posted without permission.
He said his company had sent nearly 30 formal requests to Google, asking it to remove the photos and password lists from its search results, but was dissatisfied with the company's response.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4035257.stm
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