Singapore — Struggling internet portal Yahoo Inc., trying to regain its lost glory, over the weekend received another shock. Asian media group Singapore Press Holdings, which holds a near monopoly of newspaper publishing in the city-state, last Wednesday said it is suing Yahoo! for copyright infringement, accusing the US Internet giant of reproducing content from its stable of newspapers without obtaining permission.
SPH, which publishes Straits Times newspaper and other dailies, has appealed to Singapore’s High Court to block Yahoo! from further reproducing articles from its newspapers and compensate with unspecified damages for infringement.
Local broadsheet The Straits Times, which is published by SPH, reported on Wednesday that Yahoo’s Southeast Asia editorial department has “considerably” reproduced articles from its newspapers without proper licensing or prior permission. It has since filed the copyright lawsuit with the Singapore High Court last Friday, and the writ and statement of claim were served on Yahoo Southeast Asia on Monday.
Singapore is the nerve center for Yahoo’s businesses in Southeast Asia, a vital market for the company where strong growth in mobile communications over the past decade has fueled internet connectivity in a region with around 500 million people.
“In our statement of claim, we cited as examples 23 articles from our newspapers which Yahoo! had reproduced over a 12-month period without our license or authorization,” Singapore Press spokeswoman Chin Soo Fang said in an e-mail to Reuters.
Moreover, according to the report, these articles were connected to political and crime stories that was first produced in its newspapers such as The Straits Times, The New Paper and My Paper from the period between Nov. 16, 2010 and Oct. 20, 2011, it stated.
Besides, the Straits Times in due course sent Yahoo a cease and desist letter, but Yahoo continued to reproduce the articles.
“We confirm that Singapore Press Holdings has commenced litigation against Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd for alleged copyright infringement,” said a Yahoo! statement sent to AFP.
“This matter has been referred to our legal advisors and as such we are unable to comment further at this time.”
In an anecdote on the Yahoo! Singapore website, the California-based firm’s Southeast Asia Managing Editor Alan Soon, has refuted the charge, however, said: “We intend to vigorously defend ourselves against this suit. Our editorial business model of acquired, commissioned and original content is proven.”
Moving forward, Yahoo has since responded to SPH’s claims, saying that it has filed a memorandum of appearance with the courts to defend itself against the copyright lawsuit, according to a separate news report.
The story referring to a local media analyst, Ang Peng Hwa, as saying the case could set an example as it would have an impact on the way news websites operate.
Interestingly, both Yahoo Singapore and The Straits Times are two of the top news web sites in the region. Yahoo! is regarded as one of the top online sources of news along with the Breaking News section of the Straits Times website, both of which can be accessed free of charge. Also, the duo are vigorously competing for online advertising revenues from Singaporean and foreign companies along with Microsoft’s MSN, which has a news tie-up with Singaporean broadcasting-based group MediaCorp.
SPH is one of Asia’s biggest media-based groups, with a near monopoly of Singapore’s daily newspaper market and prime property assets. Hundreds of Yahoo Singapore users have voiced their dissatisfaction with the SPH lawsuit, with some vowing to never read The Straits Times again.
The lawsuit could possibly be a landmark case as it is believed to be the first legal dispute between a traditional media owner and a new media organization, the report noted.