European Publishers Council wants Google to pay for media use region-wide

Google may have already agreed to fund French publishing efforts, but the European Publishers Council's director, Francisco Pinto Balsemao, doesn't think the search giant offered enough of an olive branch. He believes Google and similar content aggregators should compensate publishers across Europe, as they're reportedly profiting from ads sold against content that's ultimately available for free. He didn't give a ballpark figure or explain just what represents compensation-worthy circumstances. Balsemao's statements don't amount to an order, whatever the intentions -- Google doesn't have to worry just yet. When the EPC lead has the weight of 26 major content providers behind him, however, Google can't dismiss his words as daydreaming.