Google strikes content deals with 300 European publishers

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Category: Business

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. licensing / ˈlaɪ səns ɪŋ / (n.) – the act of allowing a person or an organization to sell or use something
    Example:

    I need to pay a licensing fee before I can print cartoon characters on my products.


  2. comply / kəmˈplaɪ / (v.) – to follow rules or demands
    Example:

    The restaurant received permission to operate because it complied with all the safety requirements.


  3. directive / dɪˈrɛk tɪv / (n.) – an official instruction or demand
    Example:

    We need to wear these uniforms because it’s the company’s directive.


  4. snippet / ˈsnɪp ɪt / (n.) – a small piece of news, information, conversation, etc.
    Example:

    I like listening to snippets of funny conversations.


  5. preview / ˈpriˌvyu / (n.) – a sample that shows how something will look like
    Example:

    I’ll send you a preview of the book cover before I submit it for printing.


Article

Read the text below.

Google said Wednesday that it struck licensing deals with 300 news publishers in Europe in its latest effort to comply with a recently introduced European Union copyright law.


The tech giant signed the agreements with national, local and specialist news publications in Germany, Hungary, France, Austria, the Netherlands and Ireland and said discussions with many others are ongoing.


It didn’t disclose how much it’s paying or give names of the news outlets.


European Union countries have been adopting into local law a 2019 EU directive granting publishers additional rights over their content.


The new law allows search engines like Google to link to and use snippets of news content, while giving publishers new rights when extended previews are used online.


It doesn’t, however, specify where the line between the two lies. The agreements are aimed at avoiding costly and lengthy lawsuits over that distinction.


Google last year announced copyright deals with several large German publications and a group of French news publishers.


The company also said it’s rolling out a new tool to offer licensing agreements to thousands of other European publishers, starting in Germany and Hungary.


The tool’s licensing offers “are based on consistent criteria which respect the law and existing copyright guidance, including how often a news website is displayed and how much ad revenue is generated on pages that also display previews of news content,” Sulina Connal, Google’s director of news and publishing partnerships, said in a blog post.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • Why do you think Google’s search engine is so popular (ex. it’s accurate, it has lots of features)? Discuss.
  • What search engine do you use often? Why do you prefer to use it over other search engines? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • Nowadays, people can create, publish, and share content more quickly than before. What do you think are the pros and cons of this (ex. pro: content can spread faster, con: content can be easily copied)? Discuss.
  • Because of the fast evolution of technology, laws usually can’t keep up with it. How do you think this can be avoided (ex. require tech companies to consult with lawmakers)? Discuss.