Google Forced to Negotiate in France
A ruling from the French competition authorities on April 9th requires Google to negotiate licence fees with French publishers. This ruling will likely encourage licensing efforts under the DSM Article 15 framework across the EU.
The release said "the Competition Authority today orders emergency measures. The Authority considered that Google's practices on the entry into force of the law on neighboring rights were likely to constitute an abuse of a dominant position, and seriously and immediately damaged the press sector.
It thus enjoins Google, within three months, to conduct negotiations in good faith with publishers and press agencies on the remuneration for the resumption of their protected content. This negotiation must retroactively cover the fees due from the entry into force of the law on October 24, 2019"
