French Media to take Google to competition regulator for defying EU copyright law

French media have reported that they would be taking Google to the country's competition regulator for refusing to pay news companies for displaying their content in defiance of a strict new EU copyright law.

France was the first country to ratify a new EU copyright law which was passed this year that ensures publishers are compensated when their work is displayed online. But the tech giant has said that it will show articles, pictures and videos in search results only if media firms consent to let Google use them for free. On refusing to do so, Google has reported that only a headline and a bare link content will appear. This move shall result in a loss of visibility and potential ad revenue for the publisher.

The APIG press alliance, which groups dozens of national, regional and local newspapers, is also likely to pressurize the French government to take action against the US internet giant.

About 800 journalists as well as photographers, filmmakers and media CEOs signed an open letter published in newspapers across Europe urging governments to ensure that Google and other tech firms comply with the new EU rule.

International news agency Agence France-Presse, which is not a member of the alliance, is said to be preparing a separate complaint.