Google has agreed to pay $76 million over three years Alliance de la presse d’information generale (APIG), a lobby group representing 121 French news publishers, infuriating other French outlets, which deemed it unfair and opaque.
Under the agreement, Google will pay APIG $22 million annually for three years after signing individual licensing contracts with each. Google also agreed to pay $10 million to APIG for the commitment not to sue over copyright claims for three years.
The publishers would also commit to an upcoming product dubbed Google News Showcase, which would allow publishers to curate content and provide limited access to paywalled stories.
The agreement, meant to end a more than year-long copyright spat, follows France’s implementation of the first copyright rule enacted under a recent EU law that required large tech platforms to negotiate with publishers seeking remuneration for use of news content under what was dubbed as “neighboring rights.”
According to Spiil, a union of independent online news publishers, Google took advantage of divisions among French publishers to advance its interests. It added that the agreements isn't fair for all news publishers, since the calculation isn’t made public.” The fees range from $1.3 million for reference daily Le Monde to $13,741 for local publisher La Voix de la Haute Marne.
Agence France Press (AFP) and other French news providers not belonging to APIG are pressing forward with various actions against Google.
AFP has maintained its complaint against Google with the French antitrust watchdog, an internal source said. Last month, AFP’s CEO Fabrice Fries called on Google to extend such copyright deals to news agencies.
According to French publishers, they were pressured by shareholders to go along with the deal. They were also upset that Google refused to divulge data on how much it earns from the news.
In Australia, Google has threatened to shut down its search engine in if the country required it to pay publishers and broadcasters for content. Google deemed such arrangement as “unworkable.”
Last month, the Reuters news agency became the first global news provider to Google News Showcase.


Autodesk Beats Q1 Estimates, Acquires MaintainX for $3.6 Billion
Elon Musk Explores Possible Tesla-SpaceX Merger Amid Growing AI Investments
MongoDB Q1 FY2027 Earnings Beat Expectations, Raises Full-Year Outlook
Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions
Universal Music Group Rejects Pershing Square Takeover Proposal
Costco Q3 Fiscal 2026 Earnings Beat Expectations as Sales and E-Commerce Surge
HP Q2 2026 Earnings Beat Expectations Despite Memory Chip Pressure
Marvell Stock Rises After Record Q1 FY2027 Earnings Fueled by AI Demand
Samsung Union Dispute Escalates Over Semiconductor Bonus Vote
NIO CEO Says China’s Auto Industry Has Passed Its Golden Era Amid Weak Car Sales
Xiaomi Shares Drop After Weak Q1 Earnings Amid Rising Smartphone Costs
Dell Raises 2027 Revenue Forecast as AI Server Demand Drives Record Quarterly Results
EU Antitrust Probe Could Lead to Massive Google Fine Under DMA Rules
Mega IPOs Like SpaceX and OpenAI Could Reshape S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 Portfolios in 2026
Australia Sues 3M for Over A$2 Billion Over PFAS Firefighting Foam Contamination
Macquarie Names Five Taiwan AI Stocks Set to Benefit From Data Center Growth in 2026
Synopsys Q2 FY2026 Earnings Beat Driven by AI and Semiconductor Demand 



