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Gordon's Republic

Google the pusher frienemy

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Google still isn't listening when it comes to content. The message is going out, but it isn't what Google wants to hear, even when some of the web's biggest content publishers are telling it loud and clear.
The issue is Automated Content Access Protocol or Acap, a system that allows content owners more control of their online content, controlling its distribution, use, and protection of copyright-protected content online.

Publishers want ACAP to be adopted as a universal standard with the likes of Reuters, AFP, Guardian News & Media, News Group, Independent News & Media already signed up.

When content is so readily available, it is essential that publishers can control what happens to it once web crawlers pick it up. This is what ACAP tackles, allowing publishers big and small to spell out access and use policies for search engines. Eventually it will apply across not just news, but all types of content.

But Google isn't interested. Questioned yesterday about its attitude to ACAP at the MediaGuardian.co.uk 'Changing Media Summit', Rob Jonas, Google's head of media and publishing, said that "the general view within the company" is that the current robots.txt, which govern what and what not a search engine spider can do, "provides everything most publishers need to do".

The charge on ACAP has been led by the World Association of Newspapers, which wants Google to respect the rights of content creators and embrace ACAP, but oddly enough Google (which is moving ever deeper into the world of content with video and deals with the likes of PA) doesn't seem to hear.

The problem with the current robot.txt standard is that it only allows publishers to accept or reject search engine spiders that are used to find content and re-purpose it on websites like Google News. But it does not allow publishers any options other than "yes" or "no". The new ACAP standard allows publishers more options.

Yesterday, ACAP chairman Gavin O'Reilly, who is also chairman of WAN and chief operating officer of Independent News & Media, spelt it out again and accused Google of acting in its own commercial self interest.

"It's strange for Google to be telling publishers what they should think about robots.txt, when publishers worldwide across the sector have already very clearly told Google that they disagree.

"If Google's reason for not supporting ACAP is that they think publishers should have a different view then we would ask Google to respect the fact that after considerable consideration and work we have identified not only the inadequacies of robots.txt but also come up with a practical and open solution. We call upon Google to adopt ACAP as soon as possible and respect the right of content owners to determine how their content is used."

Granted it has to act in some "commercial way", but not at the total expense of an industry that has come to rely on it, because that's the problem here. We're all too Google reliant and like any good pusher the search giant keeps us all dangling.

Published Mar 13 2008, 04:05 PM by Gordon Macmillan

Filed under: ACAP, Google

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