Axel Springer Group Sues block Plus for Copyright InfringementLast year Axel Springer tried to blow Eyeo and block Plus by taking them to two national courts that dismissed their claims and eventually brought the case before the German Supreme Court. The publisher sought to make ad-blocking unconstitutional in all three cases but all three judges determined that the charges were baseless because block Plus broke no law and that every internet user should have the right to block unauthorized ads on the websites they visit. Though these defeats have not prevented Axel Springer from trying again this year, they will use the subtle “copyright infringement” approach this time around. As for block Plus applications, Axel Springer also doesn’t treat them with kid gloves. The business is blocking users of the common browser extension and prohibiting them from accessing any content on their websites until they turn it off. On Welt.de which belongs to Axel Springer ads are served to visitors anyway deriving directly from online paper’s web server and completely bypassing the features of the adblocker. This is evidence that Springer knows how browser extensions operate and that, based on the assumption that the jury doesn’t know or care, they intend to prove their case in court.