Court rejects Google’s attempt to use the DMCA to control access to public search results
AUSTIN, Texas, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On July 20, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted SerpApi’s motion to dismiss Google’s lawsuit, which alleged that SerpApi violated the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) by accessing publicly available Google Search results.
The court held that Google failed to state a valid claim under the DMCA. It dismissed—with no opportunity to refile—Google’s claims to the extent they rest on search results that contain no copyrighted content, reasoning that the DMCA does not protect material that is not copyrighted. As the court wrote, “Google has not alleged a plausible violation of the DMCA and, therefore, the Court cannot reasonably infer that any injuries that Google allegedly suffered as a result of SerpApi’s conduct arise out of a violation of the DMCA.”
In a previous statement, the founder and CEO of SerpApi, Julien Khaleghy, discussed the alleged damages: “If you do the math, even using the minimal numbers alleged, Google’s DMCA statutory damages would amount to a mere $7.06 trillion. Maximum penalties under Google’s creative interpretation of the DMCA would exceed U.S. GDP. That figure alone should tell you everything you need to know about whether Congress intended the DMCA to be used this way.”
The court gave Google 21 days to amend its complaint with respect to a narrower set of claims involving results that include a copyrighted component—specifically small snippets of text that appear in Google’s Knowledge Panels.
“The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted our motion to dismiss Google’s lawsuit, marking a win not just for SerpApi, but for all who depend on an open internet,” said Khaleghy. “We’re pleased that the court rejected Google’s attempts to expand the DMCA to assert control over access to public pages. The internet’s founding principle—open access to usable information—is essential to driving innovation and ensuring everyone benefits from the promise of data. SerpApi will continue supporting developers, AI companies, researchers, and businesses that rely on access to public search information.”
To read the court’s order and SerpApi’s full statement, visit https://serpapi.com/blog/google-v-serpapi-the-court-granted-our-motion-to-dismiss/
About SerpApi
SerpApi is the world’s leading provider of search data, pioneering APIs that turn search engine results into structured, developer-ready information. Founded in 2017, the company enables developers, researchers, Fortune 500 companies, and organizations around the world to integrate live search insights from sources like Google, Bing, and YouTube into applications, analytics, and research workflows. With more than 100 specialized APIs, SerpApi supports use cases ranging from AI development and machine learning to SEO monitoring, cybersecurity intelligence, and e-commerce analysis, helping teams build reliable, data-driven products at scale. For more information, visit www.serpapi.com.
Media Contact:
Jordanne Pallesen, SerpApi
press@serpapi.com
SOURCE SerpApi, LLC