The E.U. just wants to keep pushing Google’s buttons
Bloomberg is out this morning with a news item that the E.U. is drafting new copyright rules. Publishers would have the right to demand payment for their content being published on sites like Google News.
Google shut its news portal in Spain in 2014 after copyright legislation allowed publishers charge for content used by other websites.
From the article:
“This proposal provides for a new right for press publishers aiming at facilitating online licensing of their publications, the recoupment of their investment and the enforcement of their rights,” the European Commission said in a text of the proposal published on its website. “Fair sharing of value is also necessary to ensure the sustainability of the press publications sector.”
The E.U. is also looking to add some new provisions for musicians which may cause Google to increase their screening for copyright violations.
Read the full article here
news articles have a value (and a copyright)
Advertising the existence of the article in question also has a value.
The simple solution then would be for Google to stop linking to those news sites unless they pay to be shown.
In the meantime, link to external sites reporting similar stories.
advertising has a value … if the advertising is required … not if Google decides that articles and advertising have the same value … and, yes, the right solution is to link articles only if the publishers wants (and pay for the advertising)
I’ve always said why should google get to spider everybody’s sites for free. Pretty messed up when you think about it, they offer little in return, and they may even punish you.