THE LEGAL INTELLIGENCER BLOG: The Controversial Google Copyright Case: Who Has It Right?

In Garcia v. Google, a recently decided U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit case that has divided copyright scholars, plaintiff Cindy Garcia agreed to play a small part in what she was told would be an adventure film called 'Desert Warriors.' She was given four pages of the script, which pertained to her performance, but did not see the rest of the script. Sometime later, 'The Innocence of Muslims,' an anti-Islamic film, was released, featuring Garcia's performance with a voiceover in which she appeared to grossly denigrate the name of the prophet Muhammad. The video received substantial play on YouTube, inciting violent protests worldwide. Garcia began to receive death threats so serious she was forced to move.