The British content aggregator NewsNow is
to pull links to most national newspaper content after a dispute with
the Newspaper Licensing Agency. The links will remain available on
NewsNow's aggregation website, but won't be included any more in their paid-for subscription service.
NewsNow is using content snippets from about 37,000 sources in 141 countries, in a search service that provides headlines and URLs from £75 a month. They are also displayed on its aggregator site, which attracts more than 2 million users and more than 100m page views a month.
Over the last year, it was debating with the Newspaper Licensing Agency on whether this service constitutes search or copying.
The Newspaper Licensing Agency – and its shareholders such News International, Mirror Group Newspapers, Telegraph Media Group, Express Newspapers, Associated Newspapers, Independent News & Media and the publisher of MediaGuardian.co.uk, Guardian News & Media – asked NewsNow to sign a new content licensing agreement before the 1 January, or face legal action.
Most British news monitoring agencies have already signed the terms, including Digital Media Services, Durrants, MediaGen, Precise Media, Press Data, PressIndex and the WPP-owned TNS Media Intelligence.
But NewsNow decided to no longer include links to NLA member sites in its service saying the agreement was "unacceptable and of questionable legitimacy". The managing director and chairman of NewsNow.co.uk, Struan Bartlett, argues that the NLA's license isn't fit for purpose, obliges NewsNow to hand over customer details, and fails to offer guarantees on the development of costs over time.
"We have worked extremely hard to seek clarification from the NLA and its solicitors on the legal basis for either NewsNow or our customers requiring a licence. I am sorry to say that the NLA has not substantiated the legal basis for its licence," says Bartlett.
"However, we are not in a position on our own to fund an extremely costly legal case on behalf of an entire industry. Regretfully, we will therefore as a precautionary measure be removing all links to NLA member publications from our subscription service. We will continue to seek clarification of the legal basis for the NLA's web licensing scheme."
Earlier this month the NLA said it had reached agreement with almost all news monitoring agencies and web aggregators over the licensing, except a small number yet to agree terms.
"We are pleased that NewsNow recognise publishers' right to charge aggregators who offer paid for services," says Andrew Hughes, commercial director at the NLA. "All the major paid-for UK web aggregators except Meltwater have now agreed licences, so NewsNow's stance does not have a material impact on the market."
Although the case seems to have reached an end, it is likely that we are to hear more of the opponents
NewsNow is using content snippets from about 37,000 sources in 141 countries, in a search service that provides headlines and URLs from £75 a month. They are also displayed on its aggregator site, which attracts more than 2 million users and more than 100m page views a month.
Over the last year, it was debating with the Newspaper Licensing Agency on whether this service constitutes search or copying.
The Newspaper Licensing Agency – and its shareholders such News International, Mirror Group Newspapers, Telegraph Media Group, Express Newspapers, Associated Newspapers, Independent News & Media and the publisher of MediaGuardian.co.uk, Guardian News & Media – asked NewsNow to sign a new content licensing agreement before the 1 January, or face legal action.
Most British news monitoring agencies have already signed the terms, including Digital Media Services, Durrants, MediaGen, Precise Media, Press Data, PressIndex and the WPP-owned TNS Media Intelligence.
But NewsNow decided to no longer include links to NLA member sites in its service saying the agreement was "unacceptable and of questionable legitimacy". The managing director and chairman of NewsNow.co.uk, Struan Bartlett, argues that the NLA's license isn't fit for purpose, obliges NewsNow to hand over customer details, and fails to offer guarantees on the development of costs over time.
"We have worked extremely hard to seek clarification from the NLA and its solicitors on the legal basis for either NewsNow or our customers requiring a licence. I am sorry to say that the NLA has not substantiated the legal basis for its licence," says Bartlett.
"However, we are not in a position on our own to fund an extremely costly legal case on behalf of an entire industry. Regretfully, we will therefore as a precautionary measure be removing all links to NLA member publications from our subscription service. We will continue to seek clarification of the legal basis for the NLA's web licensing scheme."
Earlier this month the NLA said it had reached agreement with almost all news monitoring agencies and web aggregators over the licensing, except a small number yet to agree terms.
"We are pleased that NewsNow recognise publishers' right to charge aggregators who offer paid for services," says Andrew Hughes, commercial director at the NLA. "All the major paid-for UK web aggregators except Meltwater have now agreed licences, so NewsNow's stance does not have a material impact on the market."
Although the case seems to have reached an end, it is likely that we are to hear more of the opponents
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