Google has been fined 250 million Euros by France’s competition authority for not complying with mandatory agreements related to copyright laws. The announcement dated 20 March 2024 stated that the tech giant failed to comply with agreements made with French publishers and agencies and did not deny these allegations.

Google sentenced to pay 250 million Euros for copyright violation

The competition authority pointed out that Google’s communications with publishers and press agencies were not transparent and complete, and that indirect revenues generated from the use of press content were underestimated.

There are also accusations related to Google’s artificial intelligence software, Gemini. Google is alleged to have not informed publishers and agencies about their content being used by this software and did not offer them a chance to object.

Even though Google finds the penalty disproportionate, it has agreed to the requested behavioral changes, wishing to end a long-standing legal battle. However, the company complains about the lack of a clear pricing guideline for the content used.

French publishers have been struggling with Google over copyright issues for many years. This battle is based on a regulation adopted by the EU in 2019 that updated copyright laws for the digital age.

Initially, Google refused to make such payments, but suffered a defeat at the Paris Court of Appeal in 2020. In 2022, a principles agreement was made between the company and the publishers. This incident highlights the challenges Google faces regarding copyright issues and the importance of establishing a fair pricing system for digital content creators.

By paying millions of Euros annually for the use of press content, Google continues to be one of the pioneering platforms in this area. This situation adds a new dimension to the debates over the use of digital content and copyright issues, both in Europe and globally.

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