Mulling law to make tech firms pay publishers for content: MoS

New Delhi, July 16

The government is planning to make big tech firms pay publishers for using their content on their respective platforms, as other countries aim to create a revenue-sharing bridge between Internet companies like Google and Facebook and digital news publishers.

Minister of State for IT and Electronics Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the government was mulling revision in IT laws to effect the change.

“The market power on digital advertising that is currently being exercised by the Big Tech majors, which places Indian media companies at a position of disadvantage, is an issue that is seriously being examined in the context of new legalisations and rules,” the minister said.

If implemented, the new law will force big tech companies to pay digital news publishers a share of the revenue earned via using their original content.

The Canadian Government also moved a law early this year to bring about fairness in revenue sharing between digital news publishers and intermediary platforms. — IANS

Already exists in Europe

Google has already signed deals to pay more than 300 publishers in Germany, France and other EU nations for using their content on its platform.