NEWS

WIRES

OTHER

Meltwater Group Surprised at Associated Press Lawsuit

We have today become aware of The Associated Press' filing of proceedings against Meltwater in New York. This is the first we have heard of the AP's concerns and we are surprised. From their press release, it appears that the AP misunderstands how our service works in many key respects. It is unfortunate that the AP did not seek to discuss this with us prior to taking this wholly unnecessary step. We invite the AP to enter a dialogue so that we can better understand their concerns and so they can accurately understand how our service works.

Meltwater respects copyright and operates a complementary service that directs users to publisher websites, just like any search engine. We do not understand why the AP has chosen to single us out or launch these proceedings without notice, though we note the coincidence that the AP's press release came out at exactly the same time as the UK Copyright Tribunal issued a major decision in favour of Meltwater in the UK. (See statement here [http://www.meltwater.com/about/press-room/news-releases/meltwater-and-prca-fight-copyright-fees-in-uk-court-cutting-burden-by-90-pe ] .)

We are confident that our service is compliant with US copyright law, with the US courts having repeatedly held that Internet search is legal. We will review the AP's claim once we receive it and respond accordingly through the formal processes, but we hope to be able to resolve this through dialogue with the AP.

For additional information about the UK Copyright Tribunal ruling, see the FAQ [http://prca.org.uk/NLALicenseFAQs ], blog [http://blog.meltwater.com/the-implication-of-today%E2%80%99s-verdict-in-the-uk-copyright-tribunal ] , Meltwater CEO's statement [http://www.shack15.com/the-uk-has-become-a-hostile-environment-for-internet-users-and-internet-businesses ] and Copyright Tribunal decision [http://www.ipo.gov.uk/ctribunal/ctribunal-decisionorder.htm ].

About The Meltwater Group

The Meltwater Group is a privately held software company founded in Norway in 2001, serving more than 20,000 clients through 57 offices located across North America, South America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia. Meltwater is committed to challenging existing business models by introducing disruptive technologies. The Meltwater Group delivers B2B solutions based on search engine technology, cloud computing and search engine marketing. For more information, please visit http://www.meltwater.com.

SOURCE Meltwater Group