Australia is having another go at making Big Tech pay for news.
The 2021 News Media Bargaining Code returned ~$250 million-a-year to publishers - but had gaps.
Now there’s a new law: The News Bargaining Incentive. It taxes platforms’ Australian revenue, with offsets if they do deals with publishers.
To unpack it, I’m joined by Paul Fletcher - Australia’s former Communications Minister and one of the main architects of the original law.
Welcome to paid subs from mag giant Burda in Munich, AFP in Paris, the News/Media Alliance in Virginia, and tech-justice non-profit Foxglove.
As well as new free subs from Netflix, the SEO team at The Times of London, the Sydney bureau at Bloomberg, Atex in Stockholm, El País in Spain, Pushly in Kansas, Dutch public broadcaster NPO in Hilversum, Nine Entertainment in Sydney, The Telegraph in London, and Sistrix in Bonn, among many others.
Before we dive in, did you know that Google has banked US$1.2 billion from the publishing industry since it was ruled a monopoly 383 days ago?
Its daily take rate is US$3.1 million-a-day - and it’s accelerating - while we wait for judge Leonie Brinkema’s decision on how to punish with the 3x monopolist. Just sayin’
