Remember the Bing Image Widget Tool where you can take a query and embed it on your site, and Bing will display images matches the query? Fun tool right?
Well, it got Microsoft into some trouble.
Getty Images has sued Microsoft over copyright infringement over the tool.
Reuters reports Getty Images sued Microsoft for "massive infringement" over the tool.
The lawsuit said:
In effect, defendant has turned the entirety of the world's online images into little more than a vast, unlicensed 'clip art' collection for the benefit of those website publishers who implement the Bing Image Widget, all without seeking permission from the owners of copyrights in those images.
Microsoft said:
As a copyright owner ourselves we think the laws in this area are important. We'll take a close look at Getty's concerns.
I assume the tool will go away quietly soon.
Forum discussion at Google+.
