What Next, Google Filmstrips?
posted by Joseph Liu
I use audio-visual materials pretty extensively in my intellectual property classes, but I never thought to use them for my first-year property class. That is, until this year.
Google Maps and Google Images have made it possible to illustrate property disputes in a way I never could have before. Take, for example, the classic case, Fontainebleau Hotel Corp. v. Forty-Five Twenty-Five, Inc., involving two hotels on Miami Beach. The Fontainebleau starts building a 14-storey addition which will cast a shadow over the neighboring Eden Roc’s pool and beach area.
Here’s a picture from Google Maps, showing the shadow (imagine the shadow slowly moving clockwise as the sun crosses the sky, eventually covering the Eden Roc’s pool area):

On the continuation page, you can also see a picture from a different perspective.
Every year, it seems I rely more and more on some kind of tool created by Google (whether Search, GMail, Images, Maps, whatever). Yet another sign that Google is taking over the world.
UPDATE: I should note that credit for finding the above picture goes to the very tech-savvy Michelle Kanter, BCLS class of ’08.
Here’s another picture showing the lovely addition, from the perspective of the Eden Roc:

Finally, check out this very cool site, which provides street-level pictures, allowing you to virtually “stroll” along a street. (Hat tip to Chris Tracey, BCLS ’05, for this one).
November 2, 2005 at 8:30 pm
Posted in: Google & Search Engines, Law School
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Responses (10)
Joe Miller - November 2, 2005 at 8:40 pm
Now, that’s just cool!
Mike - November 2, 2005 at 8:43 pm
I’m assuming y’all have “Google Earth.” If not, wow, you’ll be in for a treat.
Joe Liu - November 2, 2005 at 9:37 pm
Google Earth is great. I particularly love the “superman” mode, which allows you to fly over the earth from a lower angle.
Alfred Brophy - November 2, 2005 at 10:21 pm
I didn’t know about “Google Earth”; it’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen (or close to the coolest). Wow. Shazam.
PropertyProf Blog - November 2, 2005 at 11:02 pm
Google Maps in Property Class
Over at Concurring Opinions, Joseph Liu has a cool post on using Google Maps to illustrate property cases like Fontainebleau Hotel Corp. v. Forty-Five Twenty-Five, Inc. Ben Barros
Dave! - November 3, 2005 at 10:11 am
That is *way* cool…
Ed - November 6, 2005 at 1:19 pm
That is a great use of the maps! The data has existed before, but Google has made it so much more readily available; and for free.
Crime - December 9, 2005 at 1:09 am
Will Litigators Start Using Google Earth?
On my local news affiliate, I just saw them use Google Earth to show the intersection where an automobile accident occurred. Will litigators start using Google Earth to reproduce accidents? It’s possible to zoom into intersections, and there’s also a f…
Crime - December 9, 2005 at 1:11 am
Will Litigators Start Using Google Earth?
On my local news affiliate, I just saw them use Google Earth to show the automobile accident occurred. It was a very effective presentation. On the television screen, I was able to see exactly the path the car was taking when it was hit. I saw the near…
aidi20052001 - March 13, 2008 at 5:49 am
http://www.aidi20052001@yahoo.com
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