Google “fined 500 million euros
July 13, 2021

The French anti-corruption agency fined Google 500 million euros for violating several court orders issued in April last year, according to a statement issued today.
Agence France Presse writes that the sentence was imposed because the corporation did not conduct proper negotiations with the publishers on the application of related rights and the compensation for the use of content.
“When a regulator issues orders, companies must carefully enforce them. “In this case, it did not happen,” said Isabelle De Silva, head of France’s anti-competitive body.
In April last year, the European Union approved a directive that strengthens the implementation of copyright law when publishing online. That directive, among other things, strengthens the position of publishers by providing them with tools for their content on online platforms. At the same time, free publication of links to articles and other media materials is allowed.
At the end of July 2019, a law on related rights in the interest of news agencies and media was adopted in France, based on a European directive. Under the law, broadcasters, social networks and other Internet platforms must pay a fee to the media for publishing their material under a special agreement.
