Google Strikes Secret Deals with UK News Sources
Update (5/22) PaidContent.org says Google is denying the Sunday Herald report.
”We have not changed our approach to Google News,” a spokesperson told paidContent.org. ”We believe Google News is legal."
Original post follows ...
The Sunday Herald says Google has arranged deals with UK news companies to index their content on Google News.
"The deals are reputedly being kept strictly secret for fear that Google will end up having to pay for similar licences with all of the 4500 news services it carries on its news aggregator."
I guess it's not a secret anymore.
Google's problem stems from the difference between U.S. and European fair use guidelines. Google News' display of headlines, decks, small photos and links to the original source complies with the U.S. fair use restrictions (it's assumed ... for now). But it seems that Google's recent defeat in a Belgian copyright case has it reaching for the checkbook before similar European suits are filed.
Even though U.S. fair use appears to be in its favor, Google is on a slippery slope. If Google is paying for European content, it's only a matter of time before major U.S. news providers expect similar treatment.
Via TechCrunch
More Recent Stories:
• iPods and Violent Crime, Together at Last
• The Real Format War Has Yet to Begin
• New Currency in a Free World
• Web Analytics Stay Ridiculous
• Time for the "Oh My God It's Cold" Stories
• Memo to Jerry Yang: Use Your Shift Key
• Tutorial: Create a PDF with a Web Browser
• What's Behind that Multimedia Presentation?
• Microsoft Courts Yahoo with $44.6 Billion Deal
• Wi-Fi Comes to Boston Commuter Rail
