Google Amends Lawsuit Against SerpApi, Shifting Focus to Licensed Content

What Happened?

Google initially filed a lawsuit against SerpApi in December 2025.

The complaint alleged that SerpApi circumvented Google's technical protections and scraped Google Search results on a broad scale, violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

Google accused SerpApi of distributing Search results obtained through bots to its clients via search API.

The initial Google vs. SerpApi complaint focused on Google's proprietary SearchGuard anti-scraping tool and the company's DMCA takedown rights, with Google arguing that SearchGuard helped protect copyrighted content appearing in Google Search results.

SerpApi countered Google's position, arguing that Google was trying to use the DMCA to restrict access to publicly available search-result data.

SerpApi's initial defense included a detailed explanation of why standard search-result information, including snippets and links, should not be treated as protected works under the DMCA. This argument played a critical role in last month's court ruling.

Court Dismissed Google's Original DMCA Claims

On July 20, 2026, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers granted SerpApi's motion to dismiss Google's DMCA claims.

However, the ruling was not an outright victory for SerpApi, as the court allowed Google an opportunity to re-file claims involving Google Search results containing copyrighted content.

Judge Rogers permanently dismissed Google's DMCA claims involving Search results that did not include copyrighted content. Google was given 21 days to amend its claims involving Search results that did include copyrighted material.

SerpApi celebrated the ruling, hailing it as a major win, while Google prepared its amended lawsuit.

Google Makes Changes to Better Focus on Licensed Content

According to Search Engine Roundtable, Google's amended complaint contains significant changes aimed at strengthening the company's position in its dispute with SerpApi.

Most importantly, Google now alleges that some of the content appearing in Google Search results is licensed from third parties and that these licensing partners have asked Google to stop others from extracting and commercially using that content.

Google cites Reddit as one example. The search giant alleges that Reddit has licensed content from Google and instructed the company to prohibit third parties from extracting and monetizing that content.

Google is arguing that it must honor these licensing agreements and that accessing such content violates its terms with Reddit. This is a major shift, as Google is now focusing on its relationships with third-party publishers and platforms.

Why Does Licensed Content Matter?

Google's Search results are not comprised solely of Google's content. The results often contain information, images, video, product data, maps, knowledge panels, and other materials from third parties. In some cases, this content is licensed by Google.

That nuance transforms a dispute over the right to scrape search-result data into a disagreement over the rights to licensed materials. With that in mind, a search-data provider's ability to access search results containing licensed content raises new questions.

What Does This Mean for SEO Tools?

This case has major implications for SEOs and the search marketing ecosystem. Modern SEO platforms are increasingly reliant on access to search data.

Rank-trackers, keyword tools, competitive intelligence platforms, SERP monitors, and AI search products all require access to search results in one form or another. The outcome of Google v. SerpApi will shape the future of these tools and technologies.

The Bigger AI Search Connection

AI search and language models rely on access to real-time, accurate information. AI agents, answer engines, research tools, and other technologies must tap into vast repositories of data in order to fulfill their functions.

SerpApi plays a critical role in this conversation due to its position as a search-data intermediary. The legal battle between Google and SerpApi has broader ramifications for AI search and information access.

What Happens Next?

Google's amended complaint means that the lawsuit will continue. SerpApi will be asked to file a response to the new allegations, and the court will rule on the matter.

The amended complaint raises many important questions, but few are more critical than the issue of licensed content. The court's July ruling gave Google an opportunity to re-file portions of its initial complaint, but it is unlikely to grant Google unlimited leeway.

Why SEOs Should Pay Attention

For most SEOs, this case will not radically alter their day-to-day operations. However, it is still an important development that warrants close attention.

Most notably, the case serves as a useful reminder that many of the SEO tools and platforms that power modern search marketing now operate at the intersection of search, automation, AI, data, and copyright.