[LINK] major online publishers vs Google

[Sylvano]

The following article points to the "smoke signals as the moguls encode
their preparatory battle manoeuvres" against Google.

The publishing worm may be about to turn
COMMENT: Mal Dale, The Australian, June 29, 2009

<quote>
When Wall Street Journal editor Robert Thomson declares, "Google is the
tapeworm in the intestines of the internet. It turns qualitative
journalism into purely quantitative product", we may ask ourselves: is
this in fact the sound of a worm turning?
</quote>
 refer:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,25703611-7582,00.html

This is a topic that's been bubbling along for a while now. At the end of
May, the SMH had a piece, "Google co-founder offers advice to print
publishers," which quoted the following from Sergey Brin (co-founder
Google):

<quote>
"It's very important to Google that all these websites [and] information
sources do well, thrive and continue to create information ," he said.
"Without it there would be nothing to search."
</quote>

 refer:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/biztech/google-cofounder-offers-advice-to-print-publishers/2009/05/28/1243456666001.html

For some reason that almost makes me think of early industrial era
thinking on how workers should be paid just enough to breed the next
generation of workers... ;-)

And as we know, Rupert wants to charge for content online. Thinking in
terms of clawing back revenue from Google makes it a particularly
interesting decision.

<quote>
Rupert ­Murdoch expects to start charging for access to News Corporation's
newspaper websites within a year as he strives to fix a ­"malfunctioning"
business model.
</quote>
 refer:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/may/07/rupert-murdoch-charging-websites

Back in April, Associated New Media managing director Andrew Hart
described "Internet search firms are 'parasites' that will eventually kill
growth in the online publishing industry..." according to an article from
journalism.co.uk
 refer: http://www.journalism.co.uk/2/articles/51120.php

Peter Kafka at all things digital had a piece in early April outlining
Associated Press sabre rattlings, noting that their deal with Google
expires at the end of the year.  AP apparently has ideas about competitive
aggregation and content fingerprints to track down unauthorised content
usage, and sees all online newspapers rallying to the cause.
 refer:
http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/20090406/ap-shakes-fist-at-google-tells-internet-to-get-off-its-damn-lawn/

In another article, Matthew Buckland describes how he put up a "rather
entrepreneurial proposal to the World Association of Newspapers (WAN)
about a new, non-profit industry-focused search engine and advertising
network to rival Google."  He looks at various aspects of this
 refer: http://www.matthewbuckland.com/?p=675

Interesting times ahead, it seems...

Sylvano

-- 
Gnomon Publishing
http://www.gnomon.com.au/