EDITORIAL
Google has reached an interim agreement with Corint Media, a European corporation representing over 500 German and international media companies, including notable names like Axel Springer, Al Jazeera, France 24, and CNBC Europe. The agreement stipulates that Google will pay €3.2 million per year to German publishers for the use of their content on its News search engine. This move comes amid a long-standing dispute between Corint Media and Google over the tech giant’s alleged “unlawful” use of press content without providing compensation.
The final payment amount may potentially exceed €3.2 million, pending a decision by the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA). Initially, Corint Media had sought a hefty €420 million payment for the use of news content in 2022. The corporation now hopes that the DPMA’s decision will result in a significantly higher compensation than the interim agreement.
In addition to the annual payment, Google had previously agreed to a one-time payment of €5.8 million to cover the period from June 2021 (when the EU’s press ancillary copyright law was enacted) to March 2023.
Google has commented that the payments to Corint Media align with their existing licensing agreements with 470 regional and national publications in Germany, which include well-known outlets like Zeit and Spiegel.
Dr. Christine Jury-Fischer, the managing director of Corint Media, emphasized that this agreement demonstrates that even a segment of the press market can successfully assert itself against Google’s dominant business practices when unity is high. She also stated that if these efforts are successful, they will benefit other publishers facing similar challenges.
