Peeing Frenchman sues Google for making him 'laughing stock'

"ANGERS, France — A Frenchman is suing Google for making him the laughing stock of his village after the firm's Street View service put on the Internet a picture of him urinating in his garden, his lawyer said Thursday.

"He discovered the existence of this photo after noticing that he had become an object of ridicule in his village," lawyer Jean-Noel Bouillaud told AFP, asking for the name of the village not be published.

The slightly blurred photo, seen by AFP, shows an individual relieving himself in a garden in the village in the west-central Maine-et-Loire department.

"My client lives in a tiny hamlet where everyone recognised him," said Bouillaud, adding that his client was on his own property and that the gate to his garden was closed at the time the photo was taken.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hPlCR2GwYeDYzPzZ2zKnuXyMHjrg?docId=CNG.972672bf2c229393667b758b16f9bd6a.131
http://www.pcworld.com/article/161392/strangest_sights_in_google_street_views.html

And who says the Americans are the sue happy ones? Some would have considered this to be good advertising.

CheenaGringo wrote:"ANGERS, France — A Frenchman is suing Google for making him the laughing stock of his village after the firm's Street View service put on the Internet a picture of him urinating in his garden, his lawyer said Thursday.

"He discovered the existence of this photo after noticing that he had become an object of ridicule in his village," lawyer Jean-Noel Bouillaud told AFP, asking for the name of the village not be published.

The slightly blurred photo, seen by AFP, shows an individual relieving himself in a garden in the village in the west-central Maine-et-Loire department.

"My client lives in a tiny hamlet where everyone recognised him," said Bouillaud, adding that his client was on his own property and that the gate to his garden was closed at the time the photo was taken.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hPlCR2GwYeDYzPzZ2zKnuXyMHjrg?docId=CNG.972672bf2c229393667b758b16f9bd6a.131
http://www.pcworld.com/article/161392/strangest_sights_in_google_street_views.html

And who says the Americans are the sue happy ones? Some would have considered this to be good advertising.

Once again “Just follow the money”.

Boy are you wrong ! The man has no chance of getting any money out of it.
He can get the other guy in trouble for breaching his privacy but he will not get a penny for it as there is no physical damage to him.
So much for your understanding of the culture.

It is illegal in France and enforced as a rule to have windows overlooking someone else garden so it could be a case of a "pissing contest" between two neighbors ......

brigitte wrote:Boy are you wrong ! The man has no chance of getting any money out of it.
He can get the other guy in trouble for breaching his privacy but he will not get a penny for it as there is no physical damage to him.
So much for your understanding of the culture.

It is illegal in France and enforced as a rule to have windows overlooking someone else garden so it could be a case of a "pissing contest" between two neighbors ......

I’m not sure who you’re responding to but if it was “Cheena” you could have just quoted him. Now you may be a salesperson for wine but you’re understanding of Law is minimal. It’s not about who wins, it’s about how much money each lawyers make. “Follow the money”.

CG just posted an amusing story. I am responding to your" follow the money" comment and am telling you that since you have no clue about the legal system there and the culture you are totally off the mark.

When the man published the picture he violated the privacy law and the right of his neighbor . He will have to pay a fine. Not to the plaintiff or the lawyers but tot he city or the Ministry of Justice.
The man who is suing the photographer is doing it to get back at him and his lawyers are not doing it for big money.
These types of disputes between neighbors is very common in the country and the lawyer will charge for filingt the case, it will go in front of a judge and the judge will fine the photographer no big deal. These type of cases are usually put on the back burner and neither the lawyers or the judges are in a big hurry to do anything.
It is about getting even not about money from the lawyers..

I am not sure with what my job in the US has to do with the fact that I am French have some ideas about the culture and the laws , add to this that this story happened one hour from where I was born and from where my mother lives so I do have some idea of what is happpening in this case.

Go for it, Brigitte! Parker seems to be nothing more than a closed minded fool who knows from nothing!

Why would someone try to tell someone born in France and raised part of her life in France just how things are?

beats me, it is just a different way to look at life, different system, can´t see why anyone would even start an argument about that.

Can't see why anyone would start this thread ... boredom erupts

No. S h i t.

brigitte wrote:beats me, it is just a different way to look at life, different system, can´t see why anyone would even start an argument about that.

You do know there is a difference between an argument and discussing an issue. Living somewhere doesn’t necessarily make one an expert about that area but human nature is pretty much the same ever where. “Just follow the money”

CheenaGringo wrote:Go for it, Brigitte! Parker seems to be nothing more than a closed minded fool who knows from nothing!

Why would someone try to tell someone born in France and raised part of her life in France just how things are?

Still “pissed” are we, name calling how adult of you.

Parker:

You give yourself too much credit! It will be a cold day in _ _ _ _ before I let something written on a forum truly pizz me off!

Parker

The man is suing Google for 10 000 euros, how much money do you think the lawyers will get from that enormous sum if he even gets it?

Google risks to be fined. The last fine they got was 100 000euros. That was a fine so nothing for the lawyers outside of their salary.

It will all be decided on March 15.

Results

The man lost as the picture was published in the US and he should have sued Google in the US rather than Google France.
His lawyer declared victory as Google removed the picture. No money awarded to the plaintif.
Morale of the story use the bathroom in your house and do not bother with the courts.(same as Mexico).