Internet giant Google has threatened to stop linking to French media sites to protest against a proposed French law that would force search engines to pay for content, sparking an angry reaction from the Socialist government in return.
Actually, the French media sites should pay Google for providing the forwarding service to their sites. These media outlets benefit for free from Google's tremendous investment in Internet infrastructure and search algorithms. They want that for free, of course.
This is like asking a tour guide book to pay a fee to a department store because it provides the name and address to visiting tourists.
Linking to content does not use that content, just provide access to it, which clearly benefits the providers. Maybe providers should be charged for being included in search results at all.
Certainly providers need to find ways to get users/viewers to pay for their content, but this isn't it.
did the french (and german by the way) government really forget that only the search engines are the driving force behind the internet as we know it today?
if not for the search engines, we would still have the 80's -like BBS's for all we know (and i sure hope you remember how awful it was ^^). But if the french and german media companies really would like to go back to that, good enough for me. I sure can live without them :)
The idea might work in that it will encourage non-Google search engines to agree to the kickbacks / profit sharing, thereby providing a toe-hold to competitors. If enough countries adopt similar rules Google will be locked out of more and more content until they are the ones made redundant.
Why can't the news companies make their money the same way as Google does; by advertising? It's not Google's fault that they're better at it. As far as I'm concerned, Google's reply was completely appropriate. It seems like the French are the ones making a threats... but chances are this will be yet another battle they will end up surrendering to.
by Squire James (not verified) - 19/10/2012 - 18:03
How silly... first they set up a tax on something that targets a small number of big companies, and then they act all surprised/hurt when one of the big companies point out they can stop providing the service that will be taxed!
It's called "unintended consequences". It happens a lot when someone passes a sweeping new tax or tax break. Somehow it never enters their minds that someone might try to evade the tax or unfairly claim the tax break...
by Nathaniel Bailey (not verified) - 19/10/2012 - 17:52
Fair plays on the French for trying to get a little extra revenue from google and other search engines but at the end of the day, they don't have to publish your links for free at all!
I think if you try and push google to much they will keep to their word and simply remove you from their index, which they are well within their rights to do so.
And if you think about it, these French guys demanding google to pay to link to them is going against googles own quality guidelines of not doing paid linking lol
@ Hei, why would it work? Like I said, its google search engine and they clearly state they have the right to index or not index which ever sites they want, so if this law is past google would be within there rights not to put the links or content in its index!
All they are doing is trying to prop up a dying industry. Print publications are dying because for decades they refused to change or move forward and profited nicely from it. Now people can get their news from a different source and they continue to refuse to change. Just like the music industry. Just like the motion picture industry. And now all these industries which have profited in the billions are no longer relevant and they want us to continue to funnel money into their pockets anyway.
And people wonder why there are so many illegal downloaders on the internet. Sorry, your dying business model does not deserve my money.
Any site can easily block any search engine from visiting their sites, it is a well-known and standard procedure. Since they have not, I take it french sites DO want their content to be indexed by search engines, a small fragment to conveniently appear when the user search matches their content, and even want to be paid for it? Nice try, but I would do the same: kiss them goodbye altogether!
France needs search engines, search engines do not need France.
The only outcome of this proposed legislation is that French web sites will be unable to be found via free search engines. This will not be an issue for large corporations as they will mirror their sites in other countries. For small businesses and individuals the result will be fewer (if any) people visiting their sites.
This will entrench monopolies and reduce French influence in the world.
There will be a niche for user pays search engines, but this will be an impost on the French public.
Google threatens to stop linking to French media sites
Internet giant Google has threatened to stop linking to French media sites to protest against a proposed French law that would force search engines to pay for content, sparking an angry reaction from the Socialist government in return.
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Actually, the French media
Actually, the French media sites should pay Google for providing the forwarding service to their sites. These media outlets benefit for free from Google's tremendous investment in Internet infrastructure and search algorithms. They want that for free, of course.
This is like asking a tour guide book to pay a fee to a department store because it provides the name and address to visiting tourists.
French
They Internet is not free.Its controlled by the Govt's lackeys.
Links are not content
Linking to content does not use that content, just provide access to it, which clearly benefits the providers. Maybe providers should be charged for being included in search results at all.
Certainly providers need to find ways to get users/viewers to pay for their content, but this isn't it.
Oh come on
The very idea to force business to operate in France AND tax it is absurd. France was advanced in the Middle Age. Let it go back.
errrm....
did the french (and german by the way) government really forget that only the search engines are the driving force behind the internet as we know it today?
if not for the search engines, we would still have the 80's -like BBS's for all we know (and i sure hope you remember how awful it was ^^). But if the french and german media companies really would like to go back to that, good enough for me. I sure can live without them :)
French Culture Minister Aurelie Filippetti
French Culture Minister Aurelie Filippetti is an utter tool, idiot and all-around generic frog eater.
French Media Kickbacks Could Work
The idea might work in that it will encourage non-Google search engines to agree to the kickbacks / profit sharing, thereby providing a toe-hold to competitors. If enough countries adopt similar rules Google will be locked out of more and more content until they are the ones made redundant.
*le sigh*
Why can't the news companies make their money the same way as Google does; by advertising? It's not Google's fault that they're better at it. As far as I'm concerned, Google's reply was completely appropriate. It seems like the French are the ones making a threats... but chances are this will be yet another battle they will end up surrendering to.
You Must Do Business Here and Pay For It!
How silly... first they set up a tax on something that targets a small number of big companies, and then they act all surprised/hurt when one of the big companies point out they can stop providing the service that will be taxed!
It's called "unintended consequences". It happens a lot when someone passes a sweeping new tax or tax break. Somehow it never enters their minds that someone might try to evade the tax or unfairly claim the tax break...
Fair plays on the French for
Fair plays on the French for trying to get a little extra revenue from google and other search engines but at the end of the day, they don't have to publish your links for free at all!
I think if you try and push google to much they will keep to their word and simply remove you from their index, which they are well within their rights to do so.
And if you think about it, these French guys demanding google to pay to link to them is going against googles own quality guidelines of not doing paid linking lol
@ Hei, why would it work? Like I said, its google search engine and they clearly state they have the right to index or not index which ever sites they want, so if this law is past google would be within there rights not to put the links or content in its index!
Stupid move...
All they are doing is trying to prop up a dying industry. Print publications are dying because for decades they refused to change or move forward and profited nicely from it. Now people can get their news from a different source and they continue to refuse to change. Just like the music industry. Just like the motion picture industry. And now all these industries which have profited in the billions are no longer relevant and they want us to continue to funnel money into their pockets anyway.
And people wonder why there are so many illegal downloaders on the internet. Sorry, your dying business model does not deserve my money.
Go Google
There comes a times when these companies will leave rather than bow down to extortionist taxation. Also keep taxing the wealthy and they will leave.
lulz
The french people should threaten the government next. If my government tried to pull this stunt I would be with my friends in a massive protest.
How can french media sites do this demand with a straight face
Any site can easily block any search engine from visiting their sites, it is a well-known and standard procedure. Since they have not, I take it french sites DO want their content to be indexed by search engines, a small fragment to conveniently appear when the user search matches their content, and even want to be paid for it? Nice try, but I would do the same: kiss them goodbye altogether!
Euroweb search
If Google does not respect EU laws, we can change it for another Euroweb search engine.
Burqa for French web-sites
France needs search engines, search engines do not need France.
The only outcome of this proposed legislation is that French web sites will be unable to be found via free search engines. This will not be an issue for large corporations as they will mirror their sites in other countries. For small businesses and individuals the result will be fewer (if any) people visiting their sites.
This will entrench monopolies and reduce French influence in the world.
There will be a niche for user pays search engines, but this will be an impost on the French public.
This French media idea might
This French media idea might actually work.