Google and Australian government saving faces
The heated discussions about forcing big IT companies like Google to pay Australian publishers for using their content online could be on its way to a save-all-faces solution. Big Australian publisher Seven West Media has announced that it has reached an agreement with Google News Showcase getting paid for contributing news.
The controversial proposed Australian law says that only if publishers and big IT cannot agree on payments, an independent panel will decide about pricing.
Earlier, smaller and specialized publisher shave agreed to contribute content to Google News Showcase with Google saying it will not pay for links but for contributions to the News Showcase.
Google has even threatened to close its search function in the country if the law would be implemented. The government has said the parliament will within days start discussing the proposed law.
Australian treasurer Josh Frydenberg told reporters that the agreement with Nine shows that the proposed law is already working.
“This legislation, this world-leading mandatory code, is bringing the parties to the table. We have held the line and held it strongly.”
The government said it plans to have the parliament vote on the law within days.
Nine´s newspapers gave some more information about the agreement with Google News Showcase. Google has agreed to pay Nine more than A$30 million ($23.25 million) a year for its content, two of Nine’s newspapers reported, citing unidentified industry sources
“The negotiations with Google recognise the value of quality and original journalism throughout the country and, in particular, in regional areas,” said Seven West Chairman Kerry Stokes in a statement.
Google’s Australia CEO Mel Silva said the company was “proud to support original, trusted, and quality journalism” by featuring Seven on its platform.
Shortly prior to Seven announcing its agreement Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told the Australian Broadcasting Corp he plans to introduce the laws, but added: “I think we’re very close to some significant commercial deals and, in doing so, that will the transform the domestic media landscape”.
These developments could open for a solution where all parties can say they won:
– The government gets a law saying a panel will decide about payments if publishers and big IT can’t agree;
– Publishers get paid – not for links but via News Showcase;
– Google gets to formally decide what they are paying for and can say they have a direct agreement with the publishers.
The next few months will show if Google will succeed to solve its relationship with publishers and governments around the world by just seeing to that publishers get paid even though formally not for links.
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