France competition regulator calls on Google to negotiate payment for re-use of press’s content News
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France competition regulator calls on Google to negotiate payment for re-use of press’s content

France’s national competition regulator on Friday issued a statement that urges Google to begin negotiating payment with publishers and news agencies for the re-use of their content. The statement calls on Google to begin negotiating within three months.

The regulator agency states that press publishers and Agence-France Presse (AFP) complained that Google is infringing on their “neighboring rights.” The regulator found Google is abusing their “dominant position” and “caused serious and immediate harm to the press sector.”

The complainants also allege that Google is failing to comply with a French copyright law passed last year.

Google said that it would not display “article extracts, photographs, infographics and videos within its various services, unless the publishers grant them the authorization to use them free of charge.” The vast majority of publishers have given Google authority to use their content, without negotiation and without compensation.

The regulator further states Google is involved in unfair trading practices, circumvention of the law and discrimination.

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