Is The Associated Press Pressuring Google News For Giving Their Partners Traffic
from the how-dare-they! dept
While we were surprised that the AFP sued Google for daring to link to sites that carried their articles, we figured that other news agencies/wires couldn't be quite that clueless. However, it appears that Google's willingness to back down over the issue has caught the attention of the Associated Press who has apparently contacted Google expressing concern over links from Google News to AP stories and suggesting that Google News buy a license. Hopefully, Google calls their bluff. Google isn't breaking any laws by linking to other sites, and, in fact, they're bringing more visitors to sites that carry AP news. Perhaps the AP should go talk to some AFP customers who are furious they've been removed from Google News, taking away much of their traffic. Chances are, though, that this is just the AP being opportunistic, figuring that they might as well see if Google will pony up for a license they clearly don't need just to avoid any more controversy.
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Still don't see why people get so up-tight about the minor issue ("copyright!") when there's a glaring positive ("many links!") as well. Bah, business-heads the lot of 'em.
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i don't know
Sure, Google news can generate links, but it can also take them away. A well-written article will begin with a good summary in the first sentence. Sure it may be fair use to grab the first sentence, but is it something that will be sustainable.
If the reporters who write this don't get enough new clicks from the Google lifting, then they'll go out of business and Google won't have anyone to copy.
It doesn't really matter what is correct or legal now. The real question is how we're going to fund the reporters burning the shoe leather in the future.
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