Frenchman Sues Google Over Public Urination Street View Pics




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Google's Street View cars have captured some interesting things in their time - from dead bodiesto angry mobs. But what about middle-aged Frenchmen relieving themselves in their garden? There's that, too, apparently.
The Frenchman in question, however, is not particularly thrilled about being included in Google's 360-degree, street-level mapping service. According to Reuters, the unnamed man is suing Google for photographing him in the compromising position and demanding 10,000 Euros in damages.
"Everyone has the right to a degree of secrecy," the man's lawyer, Jean-Noel Bouillard, told Reuters. "In this particular case, it's more amusing than serious. But if he'd been caught kissing a woman other than his wife, he would have had the same issue."
Bouillard might be amused, but the wire service said the man in question has become the laughing stock of his village after neighbors recognized him despite his face being blurred by Google technology.
The man has gates around his home and thought he could not be seen.
A verdict in the case is due March 15, Reuters said.
If similar cases in the U.S. are any indication, the case might not be too successful.
A couple who sued Google over Street View photos of their Pennsylvania home triumphed on charges of trespassing, but were only awarded one dollar, which Google agreed to pay.
The Boring family sued Google in 2008 for privacy, trespassing, negligence, and unjust enrichment after photographs of their home showed up on Street View. A Pennsylvania district judge dismissed the case in February 2009 because, she said, the Borings had failed to prove that the images had caused them any real distress. The Borings filed an appeal, and in February 2010, the appeals court said the couple could pursue their trespassing claim, which they won ... for $1.
For more from Chloe, follow her on Twitter @ChloeAlbanesius.
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