Mess with the best, die like the rest. In today’s case, this is what Google could
have said to the french government that has planned a fee for linking to
media sites containing multimedia and press content. France has just dis-
cussed such a fee as Germany already has set up plans for the government.

The intention behind all this: As search engines currently pay no fees for linking and embedding multimedia snipplets in their search result, the authors of the linked multimedia content want to have a share from the income of these search engines. In France, the argument is simple: performance protection rights. They say that costs to produce promotion material shall also be brought back using fees.

So the crazy thing is: The world’s biggest search engine who advertizes your product shall pay fees as it broadcasts your produced material?

Do TV stations now also have to pay for Advertisement nowadays? If so, then it’ll look grim for the new product era.

Okay, you can’t compare the average TV ad for a product with a book advert or even a movie advert but the basics are the same. Book company wants it’s new book sold as often as possible. Google places search results that fit to that specfic book topmost. And now Google shall pay for this? That would be the same as if you go into a book store and want to read the first pages of a book and the shopkeeper tells you you’re not allowed to. The result? You’d probably leave that store and do your business elsewhere.

And exactly this is what Google has now stated: Should France consider introducing such a fee on multimedia snippets, Google will take all search results out and will no longer link to such content.

I bet, those who made theirselves strong for such a fee will instantly cry for haing this fee put to sleep in no time (or when the first financial reports come in after the fee has risen!)

Don’t bite the hand, that feeds you!