

Spanish News Publishers’ Association Asks Gov to Help Stop Google News Closure - LukeB_UK
https://www.thespainreport.com/13199/spanish-newspaper-publishers-association-now-asks-government-help-stop-google-news-closure/

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rjayatilleka
Jeez. So do they have any proposed solution beyond "government intervention"?
It's a fact that Google isn't going to pay to host Spanish news, nor can the
government force them to do that. So either they need to

1\. amend the law saying that Google is an exception, OR

2\. amend the law to make payment for news snippets no longer an "inalienable
right", OR

3\. repeal the law.

Which in the end brings back the exact situation that was there before the
law.

EDIT: Just realized that number 1 doesn't count. I don't think you can make an
inalienable right and an exception to that right at the same time.

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mtmail
In Germany all major publisher, including those that fought to get a similar
law, signed contracts with Google allowing them to index without pay. All
small aggregators and search engines still have to pay so the end result is
that Google News Germany is more powerful than before. I expect something
similar in Spain.

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rjayatilleka
Yup, exactly. The only reason it didn't happen in Spain right away is the
"inalienable right" clause, so that publisher's couldn't sign away the right
to be paid. If that goes away, it'll be the same situation as Germany.

~~~
incompatible
This seems like a bizarre law. I assume that it only applies to news
publishers, so that you can still publish open-source software or put CC
licences on your own photos without needing to demand payment?

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rjayatilleka
I haven't read the law itself, but I assume it only applies to news
publishing. Simply banning the right to give your content out for free would
be extremely broad and overly stupid for any government to do legally.

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faragon
My guess is that Spanish media pushed Spanish government for getting a
"compensation" like the French publishers got -or will get- (60 € million)
because of Google News operating in France. Google said, no, and then, the
Spanish News Publishers' Association became worried because that would hurt
them. So, they played a bluff, and they lost. Great victory for Google.

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LukeB_UK
Previous discussion on the closure of Google News in Spain:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8732859](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8732859)

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pepon
If I were Google, I would start charging a fee for being indexed in Google
news.

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systemdturd
Sigh. Dinosaurs stuck in their mindset continue to watch as their businesses
disappear into the tarpits.

