AFP sues Google - or: How to stop the future

It must be tough to be in the newspaper business nowadays, especially if you are publishing online (and what else is there?). Their business model is threatened by companies such as Google, whose robots function as news aggregators.

AFP now sues Google for "copyright infringement, alleging that the internet search engine included AFP headlines, news summaries and photographs published without permission."

Do they think that this will help them gain new business? What will happen? Well, it is said that AFP, as one of the major global news agencies supplies its news services to various kinds of media, including electronic. It has 600 online clients.

AFP is defending a dying model. Their readers or clients will move away, sooner or later. What could they do? How about customizing the news to the special demand of the individual? Providing better content to their users? While supporting models such as provided by Google that would help them spread their news - convince users, that they are better and entice them to sign up for AFP's customised service.

(By Asia Business Consulting)