September 8, 2010 – In a surprising turn of events, Google will soon offer content from the Associated Press (AP) on its news site. With a history of public disagreements over copyright interpretations, this business move – though strategic – is leaving many with questions.
The full details of the deal, and specifically the financial arrangements and the duration, are being kept under wraps. We learned of this surprise from Info Packets’ article, “Google, Associated Press Reach Surprise Online News Deal.” The Associated Press states that the deal will mean closer collaboration rather than a simple payment for content. It’s expected that Google will provide the AP with details about which of its stories are most popular with readers and whether there is a pattern of change in the type of information that people want over time. These details could even cover stories from newspapers, magazines and other news sites featured on Google News rather than just the Associated Press content. That could give the agency better insight into the type of news that is likely to appeal to its clients.
It is nice to see these two information giants swallow some pride and work together. After all, it is a win-win situation and ultimately the readers will benefit.
Melody K. Smith
Sponsored by Data Harmony, a unit of Access Innovations, the world leader in indexing and making content findable.
