Mosley wins orgy case versus Google
Print Edition
A GERMAN court ruled yesterday that Google must block photos of a sadomasochistic orgy involving former Formula One boss Max Mosley, two months after a similar ruling in France.
The court concluded that the six images taken from a video of the orgy that was filmed by Britain’s now defunct News of the World tabloid seriously breached Mosley’s privacy.
Google immediately said it would appeal the German court’s decision, saying it sent a “disturbing message.”
The US technology firm must prevent the pictures being shown on its German-based google.de site, including via links on its search engine, the court in the northern city of Hamburg ruled.
“In the court’s view, the pictures offered seriously violate the plaintiff’s privacy,” said judge Simone Kaefer.
If Google continues to allow the pictures to be seen, it faces a fine of up to 250,000 euros (US$342,000) per individual case.
The ruling is the latest in a string of legal battles waged by 73-year-old Mosley related to the publication of the video and a 2008 article published by the Rupert Murdoch-owned British newspaper alleging it was a Nazi-themed orgy.
Mosley successfully took the publisher of the News of the World to court over the Nazi claim, winning 60,000 pounds (US$99,500) in damages when the judge ruled there was no Nazi element.
In November, a French court also ordered Google to prevent its search engine from providing links to nine images of the orgy, prompting the US Internet giant to similarly announce it would appeal and argued it raised fears over costly and heavy-handed automated censorship of the Internet.
“Even if it refers to an individual person and specific content, today’s verdict nevertheless sends a disturbing message,” Google said in a statement yesterday.
“It could lead to Internet service providers being obligated to monitor even the smallest elements of content which they transmit or save for their users,” it said.
“In our opinion this violates European law,” Google added.
After Mosley won his case in the British court, he then, in 2011, took his fight to France which has some of the world’s toughest privacy laws.
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