Google fined 250 million euros over AI intellectual property dispute

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The French Competition Authority (ADLC) has imposed a 250 million euro fine on Google for failing to comply with its commitments made in June 2022 on neighboring rights, according to a recent announcement from the French watchdog on X. The regulator claimed that Google had used content from publishers and news agencies to train its AI application Bard (now Gemini) without notifying them or the ADLC.

The decision followed a settlement procedure, with Google agreeing not to contest the facts, as clarified by the ADLC. The American tech giant was criticized for not respecting four of its seven commitments, particularly for not negotiating “in good faith” with news publishers to determine their compensation for these neighboring rights.

Neighboring rights are legal protections granted to certain content creators, including news agencies, for the use of their content on the internet by platforms like Google and Facebook. These rights allow content creators to be compensated for the reuse of their work.

Moreover, the Authority found that Google had used “content from publishers and press agencies” to train its AI application Bard (now renamed Gemini), “without informing them or the Authority.”

“We’ve settled because it’s time to turn the page, and as our many agreements with publishers prove, we want to focus on sustainable approaches to connecting Internet users with quality content and working constructively with French publishers,” Google responded.

However, Google also expressed that the fine amount was disproportionate to the infractions noted, arguing that their “efforts” were not “sufficiently” recognized in the absence of “clear regulatory measures.”

Google wasn’t new to trouble with neighboring rights. In July 2021, the company was fined 500 million euros for not negotiating “in good faith” with publishers and press agencies. This marked the first time a European competition authority had imposed such a fine in this area, and it was also the largest penalty ever issued by the French watchdog for non-compliance.

Google initially opposed the concept of neighboring rights, avoiding paying by demanding free access to content from press publishers. In June 2022, the French Competition Authority ended the legal dispute with Google after the American giant agreed to certain commitments. Additionally, Google has signed agreements with various French media organizations in recent years.

Disclaimer: This article was crafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

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