Published: 4 Feb 13 08:08 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/sci-tech/20130204-47739.html
German newspapers have rejected the idea of copying the agreement made last week between their French counterparts and the internet giant Google over royalties.
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Your comments about this article:
So the German papers want a simple fix....just make Google pay. Google says there's two fixes....either put your majority of your content (everything after the third line of a story) behind a pay-wall, or put up more advertising on your own newspaper site.
When we reach a point where it looks dismal for Google...they will simply remove the papers entirely, and it'll shock everyone how quickly viewers just skip the papers entirely. At least half the German papers in existence today....probably will not exist in ten years....unless something dramatic occurs with the business model. The same is true with most American papers as well.
This is actually the deceptive first stage in a two-part strategy to simply force Google to subsidize newspapers. First they pass laws to make payment for use of the content mandatory. Then, when Google chooses not to use their content at the price they set (which Google will), they will use EU antitrust law to try to force Google to use it and pay them.
Basically, the German newspapers are demanding a subsidy from Google on the grounds that Google has money and they want it. If they were really being protective of their content, they would simply use any of the various means available to remove themselves from Google News.