Recent plans of copyright reform laid out by the European Union may directly affect the entirety of Google's platform on information sharing.
According to Bloomberg, "This would effectively turn the internet into a place where everything uploaded to the web must be cleared by lawyers before it can find an audience," wherein hosting content and displaying portions of it will demand Google to even pay more as it is.
The proposal was raised to create a level playing field and guarantee the copyright owners a justifiable remuneration, which on the other hand, threatens the search-engine mogul's services like Google News and YouTube. This move may lead to some its services' closure, if imposed.
The European Commission's agenda was to mend its outdated copyright rules, but Google is fighting back with the antitrust probes. EU's motive is to protect individuals making their works available over the internet and ensuring their work is compensated. Once enforced, demands for payment will flood in Google's doorstep and they will not be able to do anything about it.
"This proposal provides for a new right for press publishers aiming at facilitating online licensing of their publications, the recoupment of their investment and the enforcement of their rights," published on Bloomberg, "Fair sharing of value is also necessary to ensure the sustainability of the press publications sector."
As everyone transitions online, numerous complaints from advertisers, music and video copyright owners, and even consumers are confronting the search-engine. They are accusing Google of being a freeloader and gaining all profits without sharing it to rightful content owners. YouTube will also take a major hit from this, where thousands of videos are being uploaded online daily.
EU Observer reports, they say more people are listening to music than ever, but this is not reflected in performers' income, which significantly affects the music artists. This move is a game-changer and could potentially force Google to pull the plug from its various platforms.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
