PARIS: Alphabet unit Google has committed to resolving a copyright dispute in France over online content, the country’s antitrust authority said on Tuesday, as pressure mounts for big tech platforms to share more of their revenue with news outlets.
Google, owned by Alphabet, also dropped its appeal against a 500 million euro ($528 million) fine, the authority said. The fine was paid last year.
The decision ends the authority’s investigation into Google, which has agreed to talk with news agencies and other publishers about paying them for using their news on its platform.
Google will commit to a remuneration proposal within three months of the start of negotiations, and if no agreement can be found, the matter will be settled by a court.
The U.S. company will also ensure the negotiations will have no impact on the way the news is presented on its search pages.
The ruling comes as international pressure mounts on online platforms such as Google and Facebook to share more revenue with news outlets.
“The authority believes that the commitments made by Google have the characteristics to address the competition concerns,” France’s Autorite de la Concurrence said in its ruling.
The head of the antitrust authority, Benoit Coeure, said the ruling would be closely examined by other European countries.
It concludes a three-year-old case triggered by complaints from some of France’s biggest news organisations, including AFP.
