Don't steal that headline

I guess, a newspaper is very much in trouble if it has to sue someone for copying or "stealing" their headline. This is exactly what happened, when a "Top Japanese newspaper (Yomiuri Shimbun) has won damages against an online newspaper (Digital Alliance Corporation) for nicking its headlines."

A ruling that I don't quite understand. Firstly, doesn't it show that someone actually reads their newspaper? While the article in The Inquirer doesn't say, if Digital Alliance Corporation linked to the original newspaper, at least the latter spreads the news or indicates the credibility of Yomiuri Shimbun. And, next, what happens to breaking news? Or to normal, interesting news? Just take a look at Google's News Site, and you see the similarities between different headlines describing the same event. Well, may be we have a case of a judge who doesn't really understand the new world of Web 2.0 and the spread of information.

(By Asia Business Consulting)