Google coy about paying French press agency for news – or is it?

An important precedent has been set regarding the relationship between news aggregators like Google News and the providers of content. But for the timebeing no one knows what the precedent is as both parties are staying tight-lipped…

Google has done a deal with Agence Press France in a case about how it uses the French news agency’s content in its Google News service.

According the the New York Times:

The deal will allow Google to use headlines and photos on Google News and other services that drive online traffic to sites displaying AFP news. The companies did not disclose where else AFP’s news would be used by Google.

The details of the deal are not being made public… will be highly interesting to know. I wonder if the deal is all about licencing or whether AFP has taken some payment in kind, say advertising or distribution favours from Google? 

I expect there are a few press agencies and newspapers who have a love (the traffic it sends them) hate (the sense that their news content is a commodity) with Google News.

Technorati tags: , ,

Leave a Reply