Google has officially confirmed that it has no intention of abandoning its legal battle with the SerpApi service, despite a recent unfavorable court ruling. The lawsuit, filed in December 2025, accused the service of bypassing search result protection mechanisms and commercially selling access to Google data via its own API. However, last week the court dismissed the lawsuit at an early stage, citing Google's lack of evidence regarding its standing to file claims under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
Legal Collisions: Whose Property Is It?
The core of the conflict lies in the complex issue of copyright. Google argued that SerpApi violated the protection of search results, including specialized information blocks like the Knowledge Panel, which may display materials licensed from third parties. However, the court took a firm stance: Google itself is not the owner of the copyrights to the search result content and failed to demonstrate that it is acting on behalf of copyright holders.
Despite the loss, the company was given 21 days to prepare an amended version of the complaint. Google representative Jose stated that the company will take this opportunity and continue to protect its services and partners from unauthorized access to data.
Domino Effect: Reddit Lawsuit at Risk
The proceedings extend beyond a single conflict and affect the interests of other giants. In particular, the lawsuit previously filed by Reddit against SerpApi, which was also based on DMCA provisions, is now under threat. According to Meredith Rose, senior counsel at Public Knowledge, the court's ruling in the Google case creates serious risks for Reddit's position as well.
The key issue is that the Reddit platform, like Google, is not the owner of the copyrights to the materials that may appear in search results. The court must now determine whether the existing agreement between Google and Reddit grants the right to protect such content through DMCA mechanisms.
SerpApi's Response and Market Consequences
SerpApi describes the lawsuits from Google and Reddit as an attempt to establish total control over the open internet and restrict access to public information. The service claims to continue growing despite the pressure, with major technology companies, including Nvidia, Uber, and Adobe, remaining among its clients.
The outcome of these cases could set a precedent for the entire market. It will determine the extent to which platform owners can use copyright legislation to limit the mass collection of publicly available data, which is actively used in training artificial intelligence systems.
