Google Agrees to Pay German Publishers Annually for News Content

Google has agreed to pay German publishers 3.2 million euros ($3.38 million) per year for the publication of news content while awaiting a decision from the German patent office (DPMA). The agreement was reached with Corint Media, an umbrella organization representing the interests of various German and international publishers, including Sat.1, ProSieben, RTL, Axel Springer, and CNBC.

These payments to Corint Media are consistent with agreements already in place with 470 regional and national publications in Germany. Google cited existing licensing agreements with publications like Spiegel, Zeit, and FAZ, which cover the use of headlines, excerpts, and thumbnails.

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Initially seeking 420 million euros for the use of news content in 2022, Corint Media expressed hope that the DPMA’s arbitration board decision would result in a “significant increase of the remuneration to be paid by Google.” The two parties had previously agreed on a one-off payment of 5.8 million euros for the period since the introduction of new press ancillary copyright legislation in 2021.

Christine Jury-Fischer, managing director of Corint, noted, “The quasi-monopolist Google dictates prices, so the route via the courts is the only way to arrive at appropriate remuneration for the use of content.”

This agreement serves as a significant development in the ongoing discussions surrounding compensation for the use of news content by tech giants, with both Google and German publishers hoping for a favorable resolution from the DPMA.

Source: Reuters