Google, AP strike new deal on licensing rights for news reports

The multiyear agreement announced Monday has two key components: an undisclosed payment for the rights to AP's content, and a data-sharing arrangement aimed at helping the news cooperative make more money across the Internet.

The contract's financial terms and duration weren't disclosed.

The Google deal is part of AP's effort to bring in more revenue from the Web as less money comes in from newspapers and broadcasters hard hit by an advertising slump. As part of that process, AP renewed its licensing agreement with Yahoo Inc. earlier this year and is trying to strike a new deal with Microsoft Corp.

Citing confidentiality clauses in their new contract, officials from the AP and Google declined to provide many specifics other than confirming that there will be greater collaboration than in their first licensing agreement struck in 2006.

“We think this is a good deal for both sides,” said Jane Seagrave, AP's chief revenue officer. “We have had a long relationship with Google and are pleased we were able to work out our differences.”

As the Internet's dominant search engine, Google theoretically could provide the AP with more insights about the types of information and images people are looking for in the minutes, hours and days after a major news story breaks. Google also could help AP develop more ways to ensure its content is more likely to be highlighted by search engines.

The AP, founded in 1846, already has been trying to get a better grasp of how its material is consumed on computers and mobile devices through a tracking system called a “news registry.” That technology has worked well since it was unveiled last month, Seagrave said.

Google conceivably could also develop new ways to showcase the AP's content within the news section of its website. That's something Google already has tried to do with more than 90 publications participating in an experiment called “Fast Flip.” That feature tries to replicate on the computer screen the look and feel of leafing through a newspaper or magazine. Google shares ad revenue with the publishers in Fast Flip.

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