3 Count: Opt-In News

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1: Google News Now Opt-in in Germany as Copyright Law Gets an Overhaul

First off today, Jo Best at ZDNet reports that Google has made a change to Google News in Germany, changing it from an opt-out service, one where newspapers would have to request their content be removed, to an opt-in on, one where newspapers will have to request inclusion.

The reason for the change is a new amendment to German law that alters how aggregators can reuse content from news sites. The law allows aggregators to use snippets but, if they want larger portions, they have to pay a licensing fee, which Google would like to avoid.

Google will keep Google News opt-out in other countries, including the United States, meaning newspapers will have to use tools such as robots.txt or meta tags to pull their content from Google News.

2: Google to Microsoft: Kill Your YouTube app ‘Immediately’

Next up today, John Koetsier at Venturebeat reports that Google, in a letter, has asked Microsoft to immediately remove its YouTube app from the Windows Store and, perhaps more drastically, remove it from all of the Windows Phones where it is already installed.

Google recently took steps to block access to YouTube on Windows phones, prompting Microsoft to write its own YouTube app. However, according to Google, the app violates YouTube’s TOS by allowing downloads of YouTube videos, blocking advertisements and using the YouTube logo in a confusing manner.

Microsoft has responded to Google saying that it will happily work with Google on any issues but is asking that Google reciprocate, including Google opening up its APIs to let their app work correctly. (Hat Tip: Kristopher Hoffman at Savage Light Studios)

3: Hollywood’s New Screen Test

Finally today, Ben Fritz at The Wall Street Journal reports that Walt Disney and Sony Pictures Entertainment are both launching tests in South Korea where they are making popular films available for streaming very shortly after their run in theaters.

In the U.S. and elsewhere, theaters typically get a 90-day window where the film is exclusive to them. However, in South Korea, they are testing a much shorter window and, in some cases, simultaneous release.

Industry observers are watching the experiment closely but any attempts to bring this elsewhere would be met with stronger pushback as the major theater chains usually require a longer window in order to even consider screening a film.

Suggestions

That’s it for the three count today. We will be back tomorrow with three more copyright links. If you have a link that you want to suggest a link for the column or have any proposals to make it better. Feel free to leave a comment or send me an email. I hope to hear from you.

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