Microsoft Takes Bing Image Widget Offline Due To Possible Copyright Infringement

Microsoft has taken the Bing Image widget offline over a lawsuit filed by Getty Images, which trades in stock photos. According to Getty Images, the widget, which could be placed on sites as an embedded object, infringed his image rights on a large scale.

The Bing Image widget, released by Microsoft last month, displayed keyword-based images from the search engine of the same name. However, according to Getty Images, Microsoft drew on a library of images, many of which are copyrighted. A significant portion of the images would also be owned by Getty Images.

A Microsoft spokesperson has now informed Re/code that the widget has been temporarily taken offline. The software giant says it wants to take the time to sit down with Getty Images and discuss the alleged concerns. Microsoft does not seem to rule out the possibility that the Bing Image widget will return at a later date.

Although it appears that Microsoft itself has temporarily pulled the plug on the service, it is plausible that an impending compensation claim from Getty Images played a role. That company said last week that it was busy making a calculation. It is not yet clear whether the claim for damages will still come and how high it will be.