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Google clears Justice Dept. hurdle in ITA buy; FTC antitrust action in focus REUTERS

After a long battle, Google has finally admitted that it trespassed on a Pennsylvania family’s property to acquire data for its street view service.

Now, Google will have to pay a penalty of $1 to Aaron and Christine Boring, who sued Google in 2008, seeking penalty for damages on trespassing charges.

Google featured its street view technology in Google Maps and Google Earth in 2007 to provide panoramic views from street level, in cities and towns all over the world. Google Street View takes images using specially adapted cars.

In 2008, the Borings charged Google of invasion of privacy, negligence, unjust enrichment and trespassing after a Google View car entered and photographed their Pittsburgh property and the photo was published in Google Maps.

U.S. District Magistrate Judge Cathy Bissoon on Thursday signed off on a consent decree, a mutually agreed-upon verdict, between the Mountain View, Calif., company and the Borings, of Franklin Park, Pa., according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The Borings' attorney, Gregg Zegarelli, said his clients are satisfied to have made the point that Google trespassed.

Meanwhile, a Google spokesman said via e-mail that the company welcomes the case's resolution.

We are pleased that this lawsuit has finally ended with plaintiffs' acknowledgement that they are entitled to only $1, he said.