After a legal setback last week, Google has reaffirmed its commitment to blocking web scrapers from accessing its search results. This fight is now shared by Reddit, despite the fact that neither party owns the internet.

The tech giants are using the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) in an unusual way, suing SerpApi for allegedly circumventing their anti-scraping technology and selling Google-searched content through a third-party service. But since search results can’t be copyrighted, this move is seen as bizarre by legal experts.

Meredith Rose from Public Knowledge believes that both companies are 'grasping at whatever tool is available' in the face of the rapid rise of AI scraping over the past three years. Google and Reddit’s lawsuits might simply be an attempt to force discussions on licensing, despite their unconventional approach.

This situation reflects a broader tension as AI tools become more prevalent, with big tech companies trying to maintain control while also leveraging these tools for profit. It's a complex dance of legal maneuvering that could have significant implications for the future of online content and data access.