The French antitrust authorities said on Tuesday that Google has committed to settling a copyright dispute in France over online material. The announcement comes as demand builds for large internet platforms to share a greater portion of their earnings with news publications.
According to the statement made by the government, Google, which is owned by Alphabet, has also decided not to appeal a fine of 500 million euros ($528 million). The penalty was paid the year before.
The judgment brings to an end the inquiry into Google that was conducted by the authority. Google has indicated that it is willing to engage with news agencies and other publishers about the possibility of compensating them for the use of their content on its platform.
Within the first three months after the commencement of discussions, Google will make a commitment to a pay proposal. If an agreement cannot be reached, the subject will be resolved by a court.
The American corporation will also make certain that the discussions will not have any effect on the manner in which the company’s search sites offer the latest news.
This verdict comes as a demand from across the world continues to rise on web platforms such as Google and Facebook to distribute a greater portion of their earnings to news organizations.
According to the verdict handed down by France’s Autorite de la Concurrence, “the authority thinks that the undertakings made by Google have the qualities to satisfy the competition concerns.”
According to Benoit Coeure, the chairman of the antitrust authority, other European nations will conduct a thorough investigation into the verdict.
It brings to a close a case that has been ongoing for the last three years. It was sparked by complaints from a number of the most prominent news organizations in France, including AFP.
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