RE: [syndication] Moreover Terms and Conditions for free use

["Alis Marsden" <alis@contentrelations.com>]

pdm wrote:
>if the aggregator makes a revenue out of content supplied by a third
>party, the content provider, is it fair to do so without a revenue share
>model?

Yes, I do think it is fair for aggregators like Moreover to make revenue out
of third party headlines and not share that revenue with the third party in
question.

I can see how a publisher would think it fair that they get a share of the
revenue if an aggregator was selling a headline feed of *just* that
publishers headlines.

However I don't think aggregators are going to make a lot of sales like
that.

I think aggregators are going to sell intelligent news headline products and
services that are made up from the headlines of hundreds or thousands of
different content providers and customised by the aggregators technologies
to suit the individual needs of their clients.

Websites don't ask metadata aggregators like Google for a share of the
advertising revenue they make by providing a search engine, so why should
they expect headline aggregators to share their revenue?

Publishers are able to provide their own headline feeds under there own
terms if they want to and I think they should be able to prevent headline
aggregators from using their headlines if they wish to do so, much like a
robots.txt can keep the search engines out.

If publishers choose to work with headline aggregators, they should benefit
in terms of traffic, but I don't think it is fair to expect headline
aggregators to have to pay publishers to use their headlines.

However I do think aggregators need to justify the charges they make to
publishers.  Unless the aggregator is making a special effort to drive
traffic to the publishers website, perhaps by providing a free news portal
with preferential exposure for paying publishers, I don't see why a
publisher should have to pay them.

Maybe I'm wrong.  I'd welcome other views.  I just thought I'd get the case
for publishers not being paid by aggregators out there :)

Alis


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