Getty Images Sues Microsoft For “Massive Infringement” Of Copyright By Bing Image Widget

It didn’t take long for Bing’s new Image Widget to come under fire for alleged copyright infringement.

The feature, which enables online publishers to display photos pulled in by the Bing search engine, rolled out Aug. 22.

Today, Getty Images filed suit in a New York federal court claiming that it’s a “massive infringement” of copyright, Reuters reported.

“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,” the lawsuit states.

Getty, a producer and distributor of photos, video and multimedia products, is asking that the widget be shut down immediately and for an unspecified amount of damages.

A Microsoft spokeswoman, Reuters reported, said the company will look into Getty’s claims: “As a copyright owner ourselves we think the laws in this area are important. We’ll take a close look at Getty’s concerns.”

Read the full report from Reuters here.

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Martin Beck

Martin Beck is Third Door Media's Social Media Reporter, covering the latest news for Marketing Land and Search Engine Land. He spent 24 years with the Los Angeles Times, serving as social media and reader engagement editor from 2010-2014. A graduate of UC Irvine and the University of Missouri journalism school, Beck started started his career at the Times as a sportswriter and copy editor. Follow Martin on Twitter (@MartinBeck), Facebook and/or Google+.