After two and a half years of fighting in court, Google has been found guilty of trespassing to take photos for its Street View feature of Google Maps. The search giant will have to pay $1 to Aaron and Christine Boring. US District Court Judge Cathy Bissoon wrapped up the case with a consent judgment, which means both parties agreed to the final resolution terms.
"This is one sweet dollar of vindication," the Borings said in a statement to the Associated Press. "Google could have just sent us an apology letter in the very beginning, but chose to try to prove they had a legal right to be on our land. We are glad they finally gave up." The other party is also satisfied. "We are pleased that this lawsuit has finally ended with plaintiffs' acknowledgment that they are entitled to only $1," a Google spokesperson said in a statement. The company can continue developing the Street View feature.
The couple sued Google in 2008, seeking compensatory and punitive damages for invading their privacy, acting negligently, being unjustly enriched, and trespassing. The Google Street View car entered and photographed their Pittsburgh property, which includes a private road leading to their house. The photo was then published on Google Maps. The lawsuit was dismissed in February 2009, but the Borings appealed to the US Third Circuit Court of Appeals, which reversed the dismissal and sent the case back to the lower court.