Book, magazine publishers shun gratis advertising
Steadfastly determined to shoot themselves in the foot once more, a group of publishers of books, magazines and newspapers has announced the following:
The newspaper, magazine and book publishing industries have come
together to explore ways to challenge the exploitation of content by
search engines without fair compensation to copyright owners.
The publishers are putting together a task force that will look into ways to use "copyright enforcement and brand infringement" against the "Napsterisation" of "content" by search engines.
Ok, so they see Google’s pie growing and growing, and they want a slice. Fair enough. But they could handle this with a bit more style:
It’s one thing to lack knowledge about the way a search engine works. Hey, who really does? It’s a second thing to want to profit from a new line of business. Fine with me, let them negotiate.
But it’s another deal entirely to consciously, publicly and loudly ignore the basic effect of what a search engine does for that beloved "content" of yours: It makes it popular.
Get a life, guys and gals. It’s called "gratis advertising."