Take Advantage Of News From Publishers In France, Google Pays IDR 7.8 Trillion Fine To Resolve Copyright Disputes

Google resolves copyright dispute in France., (photo: pixabay doc)

JAKARTA - Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has committed to resolving copyright disputes in France over online content. This was announced by the country's antitrust authority said on Tuesday, June 21, after rising pressure for big tech-owned platforms to share more of their revenue with news outlets.

According to the French authorities, Google has also agreed to drop its appeal against the 500 million euros (Rp 7.8 trillion) fine imposed by the country's authorities. The fine was paid last year.

The decision ends French authorities' investigation into Google, which has agreed to talk to other news agencies and publishers about their efforts to pay news providers for using their news on its platform.

Google will commit to the remuneration proposal within three months of the start of negotiations, and if no agreement can be found, the matter will be resolved by the courts.

The US company will also ensure negotiations will not impact the way news is presented on its search page.

The decision comes as international pressure builds on online platforms like Google and Facebook to share more of their revenue with news outlets.

"The Authority believes that the commitments made by Google have the characteristics to address competitive issues," France's Autorite de la Concurrence said in its decision.

The head of France's antitrust authority, Benoit Coeure, said the ruling would be carefully examined by other European countries.

It concludes a three-year case sparked by complaints from some of France's biggest news organisations, including AFP.

News publishers argue that the resurgence of Google's online advertising sales is supported by the exploitation of their online news content excerpts, which cost them a potential revenue stream at a time of decline in print sales.

The tech giant, which has since signed deals with several plaintiffs, initially dismissed the claims. They say the web traffic it brings through search engines and news aggregators directs a large number of internet users to news websites, enabling publishers to generate their content through their own ad-based revenue.

AFP and several leading news organizations, including newspapers Le Monde, Le Figaro and Liberation, have announced separate deals with Google, which are meant to cover this copyright law.

Sebastien Missoffe, country manager and VP for Google France, wrote in a blog post stating that Google has agreements with more than 150 press publications in France for "neighborhood rights".

"We will continue to work to secure more agreements with qualified French publishers and news agencies to better support journalism in France, building on years of investment," Missoffe said.

Google agreed to pay 76 million US dollars (Rp 1.1 trillion) over three years to 121 news publishers in France to end copyright lines.