The Borings say the images of their home on the Google site were taken from their driveway which is clearly marked "Private Road". The couple are seeking a paltry "Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars for compensatory, incidental and consequential damages, punitive damages, costs, all allowable attorneys' fees, and all other damages deemed to be just".
If you want to check out the Borings' humble abode just head over to Google Maps and type in the address 1567 Oakridge Lane, Pittsburgh, PA 15237, and then click on Street View. It lives up to the names of its owners and is not exactly the first place on Google Street View you're likely to want to have a gawk at.
A spokesman for Google has said. "There's no merit to this action. It is unfortunate litigation was chosen to address the concern because we have visible tools, such as a YouTube video, to help people learn about imagery removal and an easy-to-use process to facilitate image removal."
Google has links on the Web site that let people request that images of their property be removed if they give a valid reason and can prove that they own the property in question. However, the Borings' lawyer has said that the couple's privacy was invaded when Google went onto their property to take the photos which appear on Google Street View.
It going to be interesting how this case pans out. If the Borings win a wad of cash Google will be put in a weak position and we'll be off to see if our back garden is on Google Street View too.
