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I received this text in an email:
"Google came from nowhere and bullied themselves into a superpower by stealing" - © Ben Ligeri

To which I responded with this question:
"No, everyone using their services has volunteered to do so. What have they done that constitutes stealing?"

It's very simple. Google's rise to fortune has been the direct result of unlawfully monetizing the copyrighted works of others.

I wrote "I can simplify. Copyright law was created to protect copyright creators from the very thing Google did, making money off other peoples works."

Brian wrote "No, nearly every creation goes through a middle man that gets a profit. That is normal and expected; record studios, art galleries, movie theaters, etc.. Copyright only requires them to have your permission to do so."

I wrote "one of the points i thought i was making pretty strong was that they did not have permission. I never list my content on Google but it shows up there. Thats a very straightforward copyright violation."

So again, I ask, how can one not come to any other conclusion than.... Google rose to fortune and fame by the direct unlawful monetizing of other people's copyrighted works.

Is there another possible conclusion out there? Is there any support of this other conclusion? Is there anyone on this forum?

p.s. Did you give Google permission to make money on your copyrighted photo, Brian?