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EU Copyright Reform Proposes Search Engines Pay For Snippets (thestack.com)

Posted by EditorDavid on from the pay-to-paste dept.

An anonymous Slashdot reader reports that the European Commission "is planning reforms that would allow media outlets to request payment from search engines such as Google, for publishing snippets of their content in search results." The Stack reports: The working paper recommends the introduction of an EU law that covers the rights to digital reproduction of news publications. This would essentially make news publishers a new category of rights holders under copyright law, thereby ensuring that "the creative and economic contribution of news publishers is recognized and incentivized in EU law, as it is today the case for other creative sectors."

9 of 172 comments (clear)

  1. Google's reply? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "Well, we'd rather not have to pay, so... we'll just not index your content anymore. kthxbye"

    (Meanwhile Microsoft probably had something to say too, but nobody asked.)

    1. Re:Google's reply? by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Insightful

      We're not talking about delisting a continent, only its media outlets. I can't think of anything more devastating.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    2. Re:Google's reply? by Dangerous_Minds · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Indeed. By all means big publishers, demand money from Google. When Google delists you, all that juicy traffic will go to the smaller independent news sites who will be more than happy to make some extra ad impressions. Heck, I would go so far as to say some of them are jumping up and down in excitement over the prospect of some of the big media outlets cutting themselves out of that stream of traffic.

      --
      Daily read for tech news: Freezenet.ca
  2. Re:That worked great in Germany by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "then Google is paying those news websites for the right to use the content so indexed."
    No. The papers gave google a free licence to publish the snippets.

  3. Re:Death to publishers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If ALL publishers died, then Google would have nothing to index. They astounding thing to note is that the publishers got their "lex Google" in Germany, and they've already caved and given Google a free exemption, so this isn't going to hurt Google, just other search engines. Instead of limiting Google's power over their business, they have increased it. And they STILL keep pushing for this on a larger scale. I'm sincerely convinced that getting an MBA rots people's brains. There is no other reasonable explanation.

  4. Re:good luck with that one... by davester666 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why does "copyright reform" always mean increasing copyright, either what it protects or overall term. never a reduced term or increased "fair use".

    --
    Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
  5. Re:good luck with that one... by qeveren · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Because you don't pay enough to buy the laws you want.

    --
    Don't just stand there, get that other dog!
  6. Re:Why is this bad?? by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Let me spell it out for you:

    1. Google created and maintains at its own expense a mechanism for redirecting users to your site and Google doesn't charge you anything for it.

    2. Now you're demanding that Google pay you for what you're already receiving at no charge to you.

    If, given (1), it sounds like (2) is pretty fucked up, that's because it is.

    --
    Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
  7. Content by pablo_max · · Score: 3, Insightful

    And that is the point. It is "content", not news anymore. Hardly anyone is "reporting" on anything. Look at nearly every single tech site. They only just regurgitate press releases from this or that manufacture or "report" on what was written on some other site.
    Everything they post is skin deep drivel.
    Most of the "so called" news sites are nothing more than click bait at best and attempts to brainwash the masses into adopting the political message of whoever owns the site.
    There are a couple of sites which I do carry a subscription to, but those are the few who really take the time to research their articles.

    Google would be doing us a favor to just delist nearly all sites.