Singapore Press Holdings sues Yahoo! for infringing copyright

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Singapore Press Holdings sues Yahoo! for infringing copyright

Published on Nov 23, 2011

http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20111123/sphnwscntre-alphonsuscherne.jpg
Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) has filed a copyright infringement suit against Yahoo! - alleging that the search giant reproduced news content from SPH's stable of newspapers without its permission. -- ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN

By Leonard Lim

Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) has filed a copyright infringement suit against Yahoo! - alleging that the search giant reproduced news content from SPH's stable of newspapers without its permission.

The lawsuit, pitting a predominantly traditional media owner against a new media firm, is believed to be the first of its kind here.

The writ of summons and statement of claim were filed by SPH in the Singapore High Court last Friday, and on Monday were served on Yahoo! Southeast Asia.

Yahoo! - represented by lawyers from ATMD Bird & Bird LLP - responded to the lawsuit on Tuesday and has up till Dec 13 to file its defence.

Read the full story in Wednesday's edition of The Straits Times.

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Yahoo! pledges 'vigorous defence' against suit

Published on Nov 24, 2011

Yahoo!, which is facing a lawsuit by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) for alleged copyright infringement, intends to 'vigorously defend' itself against the suit, a senior editor said on Wednesday.

Yahoo! Southeast Asia managing editor Alan Soon added in a news story posted on the company's website on Wednesday morning that its 'editorial business model of acquired, commissioned and original content is proven'. The three-paragraph article was headlined 'Yahoo! readies defence against SPH claim'.

In the evening, a longer version was posted, with the headline changed to 'Yahoo! pledges vigorous defence against SPH claim'. It contains comments from media observers and Yahoo! readers.

When contacted, a Yahoo! Southeast Asia spokesman said that the matter has been referred to its legal advisers and it was unable to comment.

Read the full story in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times.

 

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Yahoo! denies copyright infringement
Posted: 13 December 2011 1740 hrs

SINGAPORE: Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd has denied allegations of copyright infringement in a case against the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH).

In the High Court on Tuesday, Yahoo! Southeast Asia said that copyright law does not protect facts and information.

It also said that there was an important public interest issue in respect of the right of the public to be informed of news and current events in Singapore.

In its counterclaim, Yahoo! Southeast Asia also asserted its ownership of the copyright in various articles and original photographs and images produced by its employees, agents or sub-contractors and published on Yahoo!'s Singapore News property.

It claimed these were subsequently reproduced without authorisation on STOMP, a website operated and maintained by SPH.

- CNA/de

 

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Yahoo Denies Infringing Singapore Press Holdings’ Copyright, Countersues

By Andrea Tan - Dec 13, 2011 5:37 PM GMT+0800​

Yahoo! Inc., accused by Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. (SPH) of reproducing news content without its permission, denied infringing the city-state’s copyright laws and countersued the newspaper publisher.

The articles that Singapore Press claimed were reproduced without authorization were insubstantial and insignificant, Yahoo’s Southeast Asia unit said in a defense filed in the Singapore High Court today.

“There is an important public interest in respect of the right of the public to be informed of current events in Singapore,” the Sunnyvale, California-based Internet company said in its filing.

“Copyright law does not protect facts and information.”

The Singapore-based newspaper publisher sued Yahoo last month, seeking unspecified damages for alleged copyright infringement of 23 articles from newspapers including the Straits Times from November 2010 to October 2011.

Yahoo claimed in its countersuit that Singapore Press infringed its copyrights by reproducing articles and images on a website.

Chin Soo Fang, a spokeswoman at Singapore Press, the city’s largest publisher, didn’t immediately respond to an e-mail or return a call to her office seeking comment.

Yahoo approached Singapore Press in April 2009 for a license to reproduce news content, and negotiations between the two companies broke down last year, according to the lawsuit.

Singapore Press deliberately kept silent until a letter from its lawyers on Nov. 4, causing Yahoo to continue with the alleged infringement for a year as it believed the publisher had no complaints, according to the Internet company’s filing.

The case is Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. v Yahoo! Southeast Asia Ltd. S831/2011 in the Singapore High Court.

To contact the reporter on this story: Andrea Tan in Singapore at [email protected]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Douglas Wong at [email protected]