[LINK] Murdoch to block Google

[Ivan Trundle]

On 10/11/2009, at 7:57 AM, Jan Whitaker wrote:

> Murdoch could block Google searches entirely

…but they probably won't, since they don't want to give up the traffic  
that Google sends their way. It seems to me that Murdoch wants his  
cake and wishes to eat it as well: he wants Google traffic AND he  
wants Google to pay him for it.

Google UK's response sums it up:

"Publishers put their content on the Web because they want it to be  
found. Very few choose not to include their material in Google News  
and Web search. But if they tell us not to include it, we don't."

As for Murdoch's sabre-rattling and howler interpretation of fair use:

> "There's a doctrine called fair use, which we believe to be  
> challenged in the courts and would bar it altogether... but we'll  
> take that slowly."

Newscorp aggregators (like almost all news companies) have been making  
use of fair use provisions for years. I suspect that Murdoch is  
blinded to the importance of profit over and above the importance of  
fair use and reporting, and the history of fair use in copyright law.

However, I can understand his world view that there are few news sites  
actually making any money. I'm just not convinced that a subscription  
model will work in an environment where news can be found for free.  
Just ask anyone under 25 if they pay to receive news….

iT