As a result of an ongoing legal battle, Google recently changed the way it displays search results for news stories from select European publishers. A syndicate known as VG Media is claiming that Google’s search engine is letting people bypass their sites’ paywalls, and is demanding compensation for lost revenue. In an effort to smooth things over, Google removed text previews and thumbnail images from its search results for select publishers involved in this claim, but it appears that VG Media has had a change of heart.
The group recently published a new document stating that it was giving Google consent to list content in its search engine, however the faction stated that it had the right to rescind this offer. We’ve reached out to Google for comment on VG Media’s new decision and we’ll update this news article if the company has something to share.
Update: A Google spokesperson provided us with the following statement on the matter:
While we believe that ancillary copyright does not apply to snippets, we want to respect publishers’ wishes about displaying content excerpts. We are pleased that most VG Media publishers have joined the vast majority of German publishers in agreeing that we can continue to display snippets, generating millions of views for their sites. We look forward to talking with publishers about potential new areas of collaboration, such as ways to help promote their websites and apps, increase traffic, and otherwise support digital publishing.
(via VG Media [translated])
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